Hadrian Kotomine
by Quatermass
Summary: (Bashing! Inspired by, with permission, Satire Swift's "A Soul of Fire" and "Birth by Fire") His magic took him to another world. Reborn in diabolical fires, he became the ward of a twisted priest. Now, Hadrian Kotomine, the Heretic Executor, is about to participate in the Holy Grail War. But the past is catching up with him, from two worlds...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

This story I've been trying to do for a while, but despite what I put into _Separated at Birth_ , there was a point where I very nearly didn't do this fic as a published one. After some revision, I've finally decided to do _Hadrian Kotomine_.

Harry, in this story, was partially inspired by Satire Swift's _Sekirei_ crossover _A Soul of Fire_ (inspired by gabriel blessing's _In Flight_ , of course) and its prequel _Birth by Fire_ , where Shirou is adopted by Kirei Kotomine as opposed to Kiritsugu Emiya. While Hadrian Kotomine is nowhere as deranged as Shirou Kotomine is, this is definitely a darker Harry, given who raised him. And yes, I asked Satire Swift for permission to apply their concept to Harry.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both Harry Potter and _Fate/Stay Night_.

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my works. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is an M-Rated work. There will be coarse language, violence, and sexual references. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Fate/Stay Night_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Dark Sakura will come for you…


	2. Chapter 1: Scars Within and Without

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **SCARS WITHIN AND WITHOUT**

It had been something of a minor scandal within Fuyuki. The ward of a local Christian priest and the adopted granddaughter of an old family with obscure Russian roots had disappeared. While the official story was that they had disappeared, possibly kidnapped, tongues had wagged, especially considering how close they had been. Many believed that an elopement of sorts had occurred. It had been at a scandalously young age too: they were fifteen, coming on sixteen. And you heard the rumours about the Matou family.

But then, the pair came back. The story they gave was that they were kidnapped by a group of obsessed cultists, and that they had taken this long to escape. Given the bizarre activities that happened in and around Fuyuki, a group of crazed cultists, sadly, was not wholly out of the question, especially in light of the serial killer and terrorist attacks that plagued the city nearly a decade ago.

However, the true story was very different. Ridiculous, unbelievable, but true. Though only a few would learn of that truth. And those few would be drawn into another battle beyond their imagining…

* * *

The dark-haired European boy with the scarred face sat down within the confessional booth, and murmured, "Bless me Father, for I have…"

"Sinned, yes," came the deep voice from the other side of the booth, separated by the partition. "I know. You're very good at that(1)."

The teenager rolled his eyes. Burn scars ran down one side of his face, not enough to disfigure it to a massive degree, but enough to mar and mark it. Another, lightning bolt-like scar snaked its way from under his fringe. Emerald eyes glinted sardonically from behind glasses. "With all due respect, I take after you."

"I'm hurt," the deep voice said. "Then again, it says a lot that you wouldn't stay for long after you first got back, Hadrian. You just left me the cover story and told me you would explain later."

"I was too busy catching up with Shirou, and you know it," Hadrian retorted. "Anyway, didn't Zelretch fill you in?"

"Yes. He told me that you tried to fill him full of Black Keys. I would ask whatever did the Wizard Marshall do to deserve your ire, but it is Zelretch we're talking about. The number of people he has known and not annoyed in some way or another is a small number indeed. But I have to say, Hadrian, being kidnapped by wizards from another universe, along with your girlfriend? Going through some banal tournament? It would not reflect well on your reputation with the Burial Agency."

"Funny, that was what Caren told me when I rang her up earlier. Only difference being that I actually laughed at what she said," Hadrian snarked back.

"Disrespect for your father? I thought I raised you to better standards than that."

"You're my guardian, not my father, Kirei," Hadrian retorted. "You never acted like a father, why start now?"

Silence from the other end, though Hadrian knew better than to think he had given offence. Admittedly, Kirei Kotomine had raised Hadrian, once Harry Potter, rather well. But Kirei had a stoic, cold demeanour that hid a sadistic streak, and while he never actually abused Hadrian, Hadrian was also under few illusions as to his guardian. If anything, he suspected worse.

Hadrian would be the first to admit that, like his guardian (despite assuming the man's surname, he'd never call Kirei father), he had become something of a twisted soul. Hadrian had even gained some small notoriety as the Heretic Executor, the Church's answer to the Magus Killer. Ironically, Hadrian was little like the Magus Killer, at least as far as collateral damage was concerned. But he shared Kiritsugu Emiya's more mercenary inclinations, as well as a disdain towards orthodoxy: despite often being retained by the Church to deal with rogue Magi and Dead Apostles (vampires to the average person), he publicly claimed he was an agnostic, even a misotheist. He had even been hired by Clock Tower on occasion: one of his last missions before those damned wizards on the world he left behind was to retrieve artifacts that could be used as catalysts for the next Holy Grail War, as there were already indications it might be starting early.

His lack of any formal affiliation with the Church, in spite of being the ward of Kirei Kotomine, meant that he could potentially be a Master without any trouble. Clock Tower and the Church hadn't managed to close that little loophole yet after Kirei himself participated as the Master of Assassin, which was odd. Then again, Tokiomi Tohsaka was colluding with the Church, and Zelretch seemed to think it entertaining.

Kirei chose that moment to break his silence. "I seemed to notice that you were much closer to Sakura when you came back. I wonder, did you finally bed her?"

"None of your business."

"So, yes. Good to know. While officially, I must point out the Catholic Church's stance on contraception, as your guardian, I hope you used protection. I believe that you two are too young to be parents, after all, and I am certainly too young to be a grandfather."

Hadrian grimaced in embarrassment. Kirei did not need to know this sort of thing, how close he and Sakura really got. Not that they needed to get that close, despite her circumstances. His magic, a different kind to that Magi normally had, had a calming effect on the Crest Worms that Sakura had implanted by that monster of a grandfather of hers, something that normally required sexual activity to enact (something Zouken and Shinji Matou exploited until Hadrian's magic changed matters). But, well, after he pulled Sakura out of a damned near-frozen lake and emotions were running high…

"These wizards, though…did you punish them for their foolishness?" Kirei asked.

"I left a lot of bodies in my wake and frustrated howls," Hadrian said. "Does that count? I mean, a few were nice, but there was this old whiskered wanker who looked like Merlin dressed in eye-searing robes, and this greasy-haired twat who apparently wanted to fuck my mother, not to mention this woman who looked like they turned a toad into a human being. I don't think they took kindly to inviting many of their supposedly upstanding citizens to my Pyroclasm Party."

Which meant fire, fire, and more fire. Very satisfying. Hadrian was loath to admit it, but he was something of a pyromaniac. It came from being more or less born from the Fuyuki Fire, though Shirou Emiya, having lost his memories prior to the fire in that inferno, had more of a claim to being born there anyway. Hadrian did remember something of his childhood prior to that…and had made especially sure to pay the Dursleys a visit.

"Hmm. Well, I think we have a more immediate concern, Hadrian. I'm sure you have noticed your nifty little tattoo on your hand."

Hadrian grimaced, before looking down at the red, tattoo-like marking on his hand. "And here I was thinking the rumours before I was kidnapped weren't true. It's five decades too early."

"True. But it also means you cannot claim residence here, unless you actually lose your Servant," Kirei said. "Then again, you live away from this church, so it's not a problem for once. Not to mention you rarely call me. Such egregious ingratitude from my ward."

"Such blatant psychological manipulation from my guardian," Hadrian retorted. "Anyway, unlike you, I won't claim sanctuary while I still have a Servant. Because I actually have skills."

"Don't make me discipline you, Hadrian," Kirei said facetiously.

"There's a first time for everything."

* * *

In his apartment, a little way away from the church, Hadrian stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Sakura had insisted on staying at her home tonight, for now. He'd just escaped one deathtrap of a magical tournament, only to be roped into one that was even more lethal.

Hadrian Kotomine wasn't born in this world. On another world, he was born Harry Potter, to James Potter and Lily Evans. They were murdered by a wizarding terrorist, and Harry was sent to live with magic-hating relatives who took every opportunity to abuse him. Nowhere near as bad as poor Sakura had it, but still…it spoke volumes when Kirei Kotomine, a hollow man who had a hidden sadistic streak, was a better guardian than they were. While he showed no actual love towards Harry, he could show pride when Harry achieved things.

Hadrian thought back to when he came to this world. He had been locked in his cupboard, and had wanted to get out. And he was out, but in the middle of a raging inferno. He wandered, alone, burns along his body, until he stumbled across a pair of men. A dark-haired priest, and a naked blonde man with crimson eyes. Ironically, these two turned out to be his saviours, the blonde, calling himself Gilgamesh (when he wasn't declaring himself to be the King of Heroes), noting his magic…of a vastly different kind to this world.

It was ironic, really. Kirei Kotomine and Gilgamesh saved him, while Kirei's enemy, Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer, had saved Shirou's life. Unlike Shirou, Hadrian didn't lose his memories. But the dark fires of the aftermath of the Fourth Holy Grail War had scoured Shirou clean, a fiery palimpsest.

Hadrian had met Kiritsugu a few times before the infamous assassin passed away. Hadrian had become friends with Shirou, but had aroused suspicion from the Magus Killer. Not without reason: Kiritsugu and Kirei were on opposing sides of the Grail War, though their enmity was particularly strong. However, Kiritsugu soon became satisfied that Hadrian, while every bit as acid-tongued and ruthless as his guardian, was genuine in his desire for friendship.

Hadrian never got to know the man that well, at least personally, but if one thing defined the ex-Magus Killer, it was that he was filled with regrets. Hadrian found himself envying Shirou, for the infamous mercenary and assassin seemed like a better father than Kirei ever acted like. Hell, during his Executor training, Hadrian ended up meeting Kirei's biological daughter, Caren Hortensia. That had been…interesting, to say the least.

He'd started training not long after the Magus Killer died, at eleven years of age. By thirteen, he was, albeit unofficially, an active Executor, though he tended to stay around Fuyuki most of the time, having most of his more mundane schooling here. By fifteen, he had some infamy for his unorthodox nature and his iconoclastic attitude (he was known to have a friendship of sorts with Arcueid Brunestud, a True Ancestor or ultra-powerful vampire descended from the original vampire, Crimson Moon Brunestud, and infamously known as the White Princess of the True Ancestors), and it was at this age he was abducted by that damned Goblet of Fire, while he was sitting on a park bench with Sakura.

And now, here he was, about to be a Master in the Fifth Holy Grail War. He lifted his hand, and looked at the murky Command Seals, the stigmata noting him as being chosen by the Grail. Kiritsugu had been tight-lipped about why he had his Saber Servant destroy the Grail that had manifested the one time Hadrian had asked: he didn't trust the ward of Kirei Kotomine enough, and Kirei, when asked about the subject, merely called Kiritsugu a coward.

The Holy Grail War…a conflict instituted just under two centuries ago by three powerful Magus families: the von Einzberns of Germany, the Makiris of Russia (before moving to Japan and becoming the Matous), and the Tohsakas of Japan. The Grail itself was not the drinking vessel of Jesus, but rather, a specially-engineered magical device that, when primed with enough mana, could work miracles. One of them was a limited form of the Third True Magic the von Einzberns desired to regain, the Heaven's Feel, allowing for Heroic Spirits, the souls of long-dead heroes from myth and history, to be revived as familiars known as Servants.

Each of the seven Servants would be summoned as a particular class. Sabers were swordfighters, masters of melee combat. Lancers were alacritous spearmen. Archers were those who used ranged weaponry from bows to guns, and even more exotic weapons. Riders were known for their mounts and vehicles. Berserkers traded sanity for raw strength and tenacity. Assassins were masters of stealth, killing swiftly and silently from the shadows. And Casters were masters of magic and changing reality around them, physically weak, but formidable within their own territories.

Once six of the seven Servants were slain, the Grail could be used as a means to fulfil any wish it could grant to the remaining Servant and their Magus Master. However, Kirei had stated that, in order to be used to its fullest potential, all seven Servants needed to die. Only then would it become a gateway to Akasha, the Root of All Things. The ultimate noosphere, containing knowledge from the past, present, and even the future.

Hadrian wondered why the Grail chose him. The only wishes he had were those he could achieve himself: to be with Sakura, and to help his friends. If he had another wish, one that would draw him into this conflict, it would be, why did Kiritsugu destroy the Grail? What possessed him to cause that calamity all those years ago by destroying the Grail? And why was his guardian so damned coy about things?

Even before he got abducted, he hadn't been living at the church where Kirei Kotomine resided for some time, using the monies he got from being an Executor to buy a house nearby. Sometimes, Kirei would suggest that Hadrian slept over at Rin's place, but Hadrian much preferred Sakura. Especially now he knew about the Crest Worms. Rin had inherited a little too much of her father's detachment from normal human affection, and Sakura had been ordered by Zouken Matou to act as if she was never a Tohsaka.

No. There was one wish he could use. It was to purge those damned worms from Sakura's body, or at least change them into magic circuits completely. His magic kept them subdued, but it was a temporary fix, not a full one. Sakura felt repulsed at them being within her body, at what they had done to her from a very young age. To males, Crest Worms were bad enough, eating into bone marrow and nerves, but to females, they pretty much raped them. And Sakura had also been psychologically abused by Zouken, and sexually abused by her own adoptive brother.

Well, Hadrian intended for that shit to stop. Sakura was his friend. He'd only (barely) tolerated dealing with the Matous because if he wiped them out, Clock Tower would come down on his head for interfering with Magus affairs unduly (never mind the fact that Zouken made most of the more immoral Magi look like kittens). Though maybe he could get away with some collateral damage during the Grail War.

Then again, he had an issue with Shinji nearly dislocating Sakura's arm for, in his eyes, defying him. And he was going to deal with said issue before very long. Thanks to his time on that other world, he had just the right tools. He had told Sakura what he was planning. Now, people thought that Sakura was a demure, goody-two shoes, but in truth, she had a hidden darker side to her, born from years of abuse, physical, mental, and sexual. And she gave considerable approval to that plan.

Of course, if he gained the right Servant, he also had another avenue to try…

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Hadrian Kotomine…aka Harry Potter raised by Kirei. Kickarse Executor and maverick…and Sakura's boyfriend. And soon to be Master of the Fifth Holy Grail War.**

 **Keep in mind, time runs a little differently in the Nasuverse compared to the Potterverse, at least for this fic. So Harry is 16 (as is Sakura), but he should have been 14 (well, nearly 15 after going through the TWT).**

 **His relationship with Kirei is…distant but somewhat cordial, even if it is dysfunctional. Hell, Hadrian gets along better with Gilgamesh (and he thinks Gilgamesh is an arrogant fuck with a stick up his arse, while Gilgamesh thinks him an uncouth mongrel, though he thinks Hadrian amusing enough to be a court jester). But it's probably true that Kirei, if he didn't indulge his sadism, would make a better parent than the Dursleys. Sad, but true.**

 **This will involve some bashing, BTW. Hermione, Luna, Remus and Sirius will definitely be Harry's allies, but Dumbledore and Snape will not. They'll make appearances later…**

 **1\. I cribbed these lines from** ** _Van Helsing_** **, when Van Helsing returns to the Vatican early in the film. Enjoyable movie, despite the cheesiness and the plot holes…**


	3. Chapter 2: The Summoning

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **THE SUMMONING**

Hadrian Kotomine's return to school, along with that of his girlfriend, had more than a little comment attached to it. Of those present, only two knew anything of the truth, and they were very much contrasts: Shirou Emiya, and Shinji Matou. One Hadrian and Sakura's friend, the other…well, not.

If one was to describe Shirou in a single word, despite his desire to be a Hero of Justice, it'd be earnest. He was eager to please, eager to help. Hadrian and Sakura had known that Shirou was a Magus for some years, and had helped him with his Magecraft, although it was highly specialised. He seemed only able to use Structural Analysis, Reinforcement, and Projection, and they needed to correct how he used his Magic Circuits, but he was a pretty skilled guy.

Hadrian liked to tease him, though. Shirou was too eager to please, often doing things without placing his own interests first. He was a naïve idiot…but his heart was in the right place.

Shinji Matou, though, was another matter. While handsome and something of a smooth talker most of the time, Hadrian knew that he was actually a vicious bully against Sakura…and worse. The blue-haired little bitch, Sakura had confessed during their time on that other world, had raped her on a number of occasions, at least until Hadrian's magic began quelling the Crest Worms. And Shinji had always been jealous of Sakura being friends with Hadrian and Shirou, as if only he had the right to have any relationship with Sakura. And judging by the scowl he gave him as Hadrian arrived at school, he also knew about Hadrian and Sakura sleeping together.

Of course, he was bombarded with questions from his classmates about what had happened. He restated the cover story, speaking for Sakura, as the shy girl didn't like the attention she was drawing. However, few failed to notice how much closer Hadrian and Sakura were now.

In order to get away from it, Hadrian and Sakura had their lunches on the roof of the school. Hadrian looked over at his girlfriend, the love of his life. Well, he hoped so. Raised in as twisted an environment as he was, he wasn't sure what he felt for Sakura was true love, but he cared for her as much as he was attracted to her.

She was surprisingly buxom for her age, with dark purple hair framing gentle features that often had a lugubrious air to them. While she had a mask of warmth and demureness, Hadrian knew it was a mask. The girl was sorrowful, even broken inside, and had been that way for a long time. The only two actual friends she had was Hadrian and Shirou. For a time, she had been torn between considering either of them as more than friends. Hadrian was grateful that she chose him.

As they ate lunch, Sakura eventually said, "Grandfather has an offer for you. If you bring him the Grail, he'll let me go."

Hadrian scoffed. "Bullshit. You and I know that Zouken wouldn't let you go. He gets off on tormenting you. Don't get me wrong, I'll play along…but one thing I share with Kirei is a hatred of that decrepit old worm." His tone softening slightly, he said, "Sakura…you haven't been chosen by the Grail yet, have you?"

Sakura shook her head, showing her hands, free of any Command Seals. Hadrian wore fingerless gloves to conceal his. "Apart from Grandfather, I'm the only one in the family capable of magecraft. I may not have them now, but it's only a matter of time. There is always a representative from each of the Founding Families of the Grail War. I would represent the Matous, and Rin, the Tohsakas. The von Einzberns will no doubt send someone."

"There'll probably be a couple of Magi from Clock Tower," Hadrian mused. "And then there's myself. So…if you do participate, do you want an alliance?"

Sakura nodded. "Did you need to ask? But…what do we do about the enemy Masters?"

"Rin, we'll knock out once we deal with her Servant, prevent her from getting a new one," Hadrian said. As much as the pair of them resented Rin for her apparent inability to acknowledge Sakura as her sister, as well as her snobbish attitude and bad temper, she wasn't a bad person. "Other Masters, well, we'll make it a case-by-case basis. Kirei told me the Master of Caster in the previous Grail War was a serial killer. If any Masters are as bad as that, we kill them, definitely. That being said…something worries me. We don't know why Kiritsugu Emiya ordered his Saber Servant to destroy the Grail last time. Shirou hasn't even heard of the Grail War when we mentioned it, and Kirei refuses to tell me."

"Grandfather doesn't know, so he tells me," Sakura remarked.

"Then we'll have to be careful. Remember how that park feels, Sakura, the one where the last Grail War ended. I've often had a feeling the Grail may be a monkey's paw. But if it's real…my wish will be to ensure you're free."

Sakura gave him her sad smile, and then leaned in towards him, her lips meeting his own. But as they kissed, their moment was interrupted by someone clearing her throat. A mortified Sakura and an irritated Hadrian broke off to see Rin at the door to the roof, the dark-haired, aqua-eyed girl peering at them with something between annoyance and amusement. Dark-haired, said hair styled into twin ponytails, with aqua eyes. She was the school idol for her beauty and intelligence. Rin Tohsaka, though, was a Magus, and while she didn't have the ruthlessness and amorality many Magi thought of as desirable, she was nonetheless a prodigy for her age.

"Is this why you two come up here?" Rin asked wryly. "To have some alone time?"

"None of your business, Tsundere," Hadrian snarked. "Haven't you got Issei Ryuudou to annoy?"

"That self-righteous son of a monk is easy to rile," Rin remarked. "I'm more interested to hear what actually happened to you guys. I heard on the grapevine that, when you first reappeared, you were with the Wizard Marshall in Clock Tower."

Hadrian looked at Sakura, who nodded in approval. Hadrian then turned to Rin. "Normally, I would just repeat what I just said, and say it's none of your business…but I guess we can give the abridged version. Short version is, I come from another world, and wizards from that world kidnapped Sakura and me to make me participate in a watered-down wizarding tournament. No Heroic Spirits or anything, just me, a wand, and I had to face a dragon, rescue Sakura from a freezing lake, and go through a maze. Oh, and these fuckwits believed I was their messiah, or else a dark lord on the make."

Rin stared at him. "What," she said flatly.

"I didn't think you'd believe me," Hadrian said. "Anyway, the wizards there are more like those from the Age of the Gods. They're also as full of themselves as the average Magus, but with less reason. Zelretch had to get us out of there in a hurry after I killed a lot of important people, who also were terrorists who discriminated against magic users with impure blood. I dunno why they were so upset."

"Knowing what you do for the Burial Agency, Kotomine, I'm not surprised they were upset," Rin snarked. "How many did you burn?"

"A couple of dozen, I think. I don't tally them, Rin. Besides, I didn't burn them all."

"No, I'm sure you introduced the others to the business end of a Black Key," Rin retorted. "Did you make everyone there your enemy? I mean, assuming you're telling the truth?"

"No, I just pissed off the important people. For all Clock Tower's snobbery and delving into things they shouldn't, there's a lot less stupidity there. I couldn't say the same for the Ministry of Magic. Seriously, the school I was at had the motto of _Don't tickle a sleeping dragon_ in Latin, so you'd think they'd follow their own advice."

"They didn't know your reputation," Rin said with a roll of her eyes. "Even if you're too much like your guardian, your skills are legendary."

"Yes, they are," Sakura said, smiling as she blushed. "I got to witness them firsthand."

"I'm surprised you didn't start screaming from his actions," Rin said, oblivious to what Sakura was insinuating…and setting herself up beautifully.

"Well…I did scream eventually from his actions," Sakura said, her blush deepening.

Rin suddenly realised where she was going with this, and then looked at her flatly. And then at Hadrian. Her eyes narrowed. "You…didn't…"

"Don't worry, Miss Tohsaka," Sakura said, cheerfully digging Hadrian and herself deeper…and loving every moment of it. "We were careful. You won't be an aunt any time soon."

Rin had trouble speaking, not from anger, though that was certainly a factor, but rather, an inability to comprehend that she was being trolled by her sister. Eventually, she snarled in frustration. "Pervert," she snapped at Hadrian, before storming back the way she came.

After a pause, Sakura said, with a smile, "You are right, Hadrian. Trolling people is fun."

"Very good, young padawan," Hadrian said. "Soon, we shall surpass my guardian, and become trolls on a level that would entertain even Zelretch!"

The pair of them laughed. Then, eventually, Hadrian added, "You didn't exactly scream, though."

"So? Irritating Rin was the name of the game, wasn't it?" Sakura asked. "Anyway, this isn't like an H-Game or something. Or would you prefer me to scream?"

Quietly, Hadrian said, putting his hand on hers, "I'd prefer you to be happy, Sakura. Being an Executor for the Burial Agency may be my job…but making you happy…that's my calling. Did I make you happy?"

"Yes," Sakura whispered.

"Then I will make sure you stay happy. We will win the Grail War… _together_."

* * *

That night, he began preparing the ritual circle in his apartment. Well, he had already done it shortly after coming back from that other world, and he had felt the Command Seals etching themselves into his hand. It was a surprisingly simple ritual to summon a Servant, considering that it was bringing the dead back to life, but the Greater Grail did most of the heavy lifting. The Master merely had to provide the mana, or at the very least, an anchor to the physical realm, lest Gaia erode it.

He double-checked the circle, thinking over the ritual. _For the origin, silver and steel. For the cornerstone, gem and the Archduke of Contracts. For the ancestor, my great master Schweinorg_ , he thought. _The alighted wind becomes a wall. Close the gates in the four directions. From the crown, come forth. Trace the three-forked road leading to the kingdom. Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill. Repeat fivefold, and when each is filled, destroy it_.

Looks like he got it right. Well, there was no time like the present. Thrusting his hand out, he began channelling his energy into the circle, and began reciting the words. " _Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world! Seventh Heaven clad, and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of the Scales!_ "

The circle dissolved in a flare of brilliant light, and already, Hadrian could tell he had succeeded. He could feel the slight but noticeable continuous drain, even after the original expenditure of mana for the summoning. He blinked away the afterimage seared into his retinas, even as he heard a sultry hiss of a voice.

"Servant Rider has answered your summons. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

Hadrian finally managed to behold his Servant, and he gaped. What stood before him was a tall young woman, dressed in a strange toga-like dress in black with violet trim. The restraint-like ornaments on her sleeves, combined with a strange, rigid blindfold covering her eyes, made her seem like something out of a bondage fantasy. She was inhumanly beautiful, though her features were stoic. An occult marking adorned her forehead, and her light purple hair was long enough to reach her ankles.

Hadrian shook himself from his reverie, and held up his hand with the Command Seals. "Yes. Yes, I am. It's good to meet you, Rider," he said, before holding out his hand for her to shake. She seemed confused by the gesture at first, seemingly able to see him despite her blindfold, but she took it. "I'm Hadrian Kotomine. Call me Hadrian, I'd prefer that to Master if you don't mind. Otherwise, I may just give you a buzzcut."

"Pardon?" Rider asked. If he could see her eyes, he was sure she was blinking in confusion.

"Shave your hair. I'm a petty person. But seriously, please call me Hadrian."

"Very well, Hadrian." His Servant seemed a little confused, and more than a little annoyed. He'd have to tone it down a little: he didn't want to use a Command Seal to stop his Servant from killing him because he pushed one too many buttons.

"I wouldn't shave your hair, I was just messing with you. It's pretty nice," he said truthfully. "Now, I need to bring you up to speed…"

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's summoned Medusa. And Sakura's trolled Rin.**

 **I'm trying to rearrange events from the original version of this fic, so Sakura's not getting Medea (that would clear away too many problems, and make this too easy), so she's getting Assassin instead.**

 **No numbered annotations for this chapter.**


	4. Chapter 3: Of Monsters

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **OF MONSTERS**

Medusa, the most infamous of the Gorgons, wasn't sure what to make of her Master. True, he was irritating, but there was something strangely endearing about him, in spite of that. However, she was more confused than anything, if only by the contradictions he seemed to embody.

The Grail had given her some knowledge of this modern era, including key organisations involved with magecraft. He had admitted himself to be an Executor of the Burial Agency of the Catholic Church, but when he discerned her identity (shortly after she found out, to her shock and his, that he could speak the serpent tongue), he had promptly given her a hug out of sympathy. He was flippant and rather rude, and yet, the next morning, he offered her breakfast, despite her being a Servant, and thus dependent on his mana reserves to exist. He seemed mildly deranged, not helped by the burn scars on his face, but he was keenly intelligent.

Still, his mana supplies were very high, and judging by the way he acted, he would be a good fighter on top of it, able to protect himself from enemy Masters…and possibly even other Servants. Certainly, when she asked, he had stated he had fought against other Magi, as well as Dead Apostles. That, plus the fact that he was actually sympathetic towards her, treated her as a person rather than a tool, made her think that she had certainly gotten lucky with her Master.

"So, Medusa," Hadrian said as he cleaned up the dishes, "what are your Noble Phantasms? I'm going to go out on a limb and say one of them is your Mystic Eyes, right?"

Medusa nodded. "That is somewhat obvious, but yes, you are correct. The blindfold I wear blocks the effects of my Mystic Eyes, Cybele. I can 'see', after a fashion, very well without them using all other senses at my command."

"Well, we'll use that as a last resort. Any others?"

"I possess a Noble Phantasm for gathering large amounts of mana, the Blood Fort Andromeda, but I do not need it. You do not seem like the sort to target innocents."

"No. I admit I'm bloodthirsty, but I don't target civilians, not unless they've done something wrong. And enemy Masters I will spare on a case by case basis. Sakura may be one of them, a Master, anyway. I'll have you two meet each other later, I think you two will get along. Now that I come to think of it, I don't think of your myth and think of a Rider Servant."

Medusa allowed a small smile to touch her lips. "I can summon the Pegasus as my steed, for it is my child, born of my blood. However, it is not my last Noble Phantasm. Rather, the bridle I use to spur it to attack my enemies is: Bellerophon. An Anti-Army Noble Phantasm."

Hadrian whistled, impressed. "Nice. Okay, so, here's how things are going to work. I'm not a nice person, but I'm not going to use these Command Seals except for an emergency. One, they're limited in use, as you know, and two, I don't like the thought of mind control…unless it's against someone I don't like. As mentioned earlier, civilians are off-limits, and enemy Masters are to be treated on a case-by-case basis. While I intend to have you Astralize most of the time, we should come up with a cover story to explain your presence if someone sees you. Maybe a bodyguard, considering I was recently kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Medusa asked. "Is this something I should be concerned about?"

"Hopefully not. I set the kidnappers on fire," Hadrian said with a nonchalant shrug. "But I did annoy quite a few people. They're on another world, so hopefully they won't be coming over to spoil things any time soon. Though I've probably jinxed things by saying that. So, if you see any idiots in robes, especially with tacky skull masks, and they fire a green spell at you from a wand, avoid it. Especially if it comes with the words 'Avada Kedavra'. I dunno whether the Killing Curse would affect a Servant, but I don't want to take that chance. Anyway, later, we should spar. I mean, I've never got to fight a Heroic Spirit, even one that holds back."

"…You'd spar with me?" Medusa asked, confused. Surely a human would go out of their way to avoid fighting a Servant directly.

"Look, Medusa, I face off against Dead Apostles for a living," Hadrian said. "To do that, you've got to be sharp, and stay sharp. I spent months out of any real training. Speaking of which, I should contact Mr Kuzuki, see if he's up to helping me refine my skills." Hadrian must have caught the question in her expression, because he clarified, "He's one of my teachers at school…but he's also an ex-assassin who's been teaching me his martial arts style, 'Snake' style. I'm nowhere near his level, but I'm adept enough at it to blend elements with my guardian's form of Bajiquan." He frowned as something occurred to him. "Also, while we're on the way to school, I want to stop by the park. I want your opinion on something."

"What is that?"

"The last Grail War took place only a decade ago," Hadrian said. "Normally, it should be another fifty years before the next one, something about the leylines recharging or something. Not only that, but for some reason, one of the remaining Masters ordered his Servant, a Saber, to destroy the Grail with her Noble Phantasm. The resulting backlash caused a fire that killed hundreds. I'm one of the only survivors."

Medusa realised that must have been where he got his scars from. They certainly looked old enough.

"Anyway, the area that got burned down got redeveloped into a park, but it's a bloody dismal place. It's like there's a curse or something there. As Servants are more sensitive to such things, I thought you could give me a second opinion."

Medusa inclined her head. "I will try, Hadrian. But I cannot say whether I could identify what curse there is, if any."

"Yeah, I'd need a Caster for that, but that's fine. I just want your feeling on this. Because if I'm right, and I hope I not…Saber's Master may have destroyed the Grail for a reason other than to spite his opponent…"

* * *

As he made his way from his apartment to the park, en route to school, his mobile screamed, " _I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE! AND I BRING YOU FIRE!_ " He chuckled softly. Arthur Brown, singing _Fire_. Caren was really nice to mention that song. Caren was the closest thing he had to a sister, even if they weren't related by blood, and while she was an acerbic thing, the two of them got along well enough, in a bickering sibling sort of way.

He answered the phone. "Hello?"

" _Ah, hi, Hadrian!_ "

He knew that rather chipper voice. Arcueid Brunestud, the White Princess of the True Ancestors. Another sister figure of sorts, even if he had only met her a few times. The first time he had, it was during a rather messy saga involving Ciel and Arc in Misaki Town. Arc had apparently settled down with some guy called Shiki Tohno. Still, Hadrian had managed to come out of that with Arc as a friend, and when you had one of the most powerful vampires in existence as a friend, one of the progeny of Type-Moon, Crimson Moon Brunestud, you knew you had a strange but charmed life.

"Hey, Arc. Any occasion?"

" _No, just a social call, Hadrian. I heard from Grandfather about your little misadventure. Merem confirmed it._ "

Ah, yes. Merem Solomon. Another Dead Apostle, one who, like Arc's sister Altrouge and Zelretch, along with the Beast of Gaia known as Primate Murder, was one of the elite vampires known as the Dead Apostle Ancestors. Merem, like Zelretch and (as long as you weren't an incarnation of the Serpent of Akasha, Roa) Arc, was one of the vampires more kindly disposed towards humanity. Then again, Merem was also one of his bosses, being a higher-up in the Burial Agency. He looked like the young boy he had been before he was turned, and it was easy to forget that he was one of the oldest Dead Apostles in the world.

"Yeah, it was a bit of an experience. I wish Zelretch got us out of there sooner, though. Listen, long story short, I've been selected as a participant in that bloody tournament your Grandfather had a hand in setting up with the Makiris, Tohsakas, and von Einzberns. I might not have time to socialize for a while. Hopefully, we can catch up before this saga begins in earnest."

" _Huh? Oh, that's right, Grandfather said the Holy Grail War was starting up again early. Weren't the Magus Killer and that priest who pretends to be your guardian the last Masters left standing? I mean, aside from Waver, obviously._ "

"Yeah. Kirei doesn't like talking about it much, Arc. I don't think it's out of PTSD, either. I just think he likes withholding stuff from me for shits and giggles. Quite frankly, I'm only staying in this mess to help Sakura get away from that cesspool she's forced to call a family…"

* * *

He continued to talk as he walked to the park, hanging up once Arc and himself had finished speaking. They were near the park by now, and Medusa then said, through their mental link, " _You're friends with one of Crimson Moon Brunestud's progeny. That is probably the strangest thing I have ever seen._ "

" _Arc's fine_ ," Hadrian responded. " _As long as you're not Roa, anyway. Of course, her sister and her pet are another matter entirely, given that said sister has the leash of Primate Murder, the Beast of Gaia._ "

Medusa, currently Astralized, couldn't help but shudder, despite not currently having a physically-manifested body. But as they entered the park, she felt another urge to shudder, one somewhat more profound. Hadrian felt it through their link. " _This park…I already feel the malice and despair within it_ ," Medusa said.

"I know," Hadrian murmured, taking in the bleak park. There was nothing actually wrong per se that was overt, more than there was a sense of atmosphere, oppressive and cloying, like even in broad daylight, there was something watching from the shadows, ready to reach out and snatch you away into oblivion. "In a perverse way, I was born here. In truth, I was born on another world, as Harry Potter. But something in me called out to be freed from my plight. I was an orphan, you see. My parents were murdered by a wizard terrorist, and I survived an instant death curse, the one I warned you about. I was famous before I turned two, thanks to a protection my mother gave me with a ritual. But…some meddling old goat decided to leave me at my relatives. He claimed it was to protect me from my fame, use some blood relation-style barrier to repel any of the terrorist's followers…but it didn't protect me from my relatives. They treated me like a servant and a punching bag. One day, after school, my uncle and my cousin started beating the shit out of me.'

" _Why?_ "

Hadrian scoffed. "I got better grades than the piglet. They didn't want me to be any better than them, or indeed to approach their level of mediocrity. Then, my magic burst out. It reached out to something…and I was brought here. Only, it was an inferno. The Fuyuki Fire, they call it. Officially, the cause was unknown, but to those in the know, the fire was caused during the climax of the previous Holy Grail War, when the Master of Saber, Kiritsugu Emiya, ordered his Servant to destroy it. And even then, it's doubtful that would have caused that, not without something else being involved. I learned that later. I just staggered through the flames, before I stumbled across two men. My guardian, Kirei Kotomine, and a naked man who called himself Gilgamesh. Kirei adopted me. Perhaps he saw something in me. For you see, the fire twisted me out of shape. It was like it was alive. At first, I think it tried to curse me…but then, it found something else to do with me. It brought me to Kirei, I think. Maybe to try and make me a monster like he was. And I am one, to a degree."

" _I'm surprised you don't call him father._ "

Hadrian laughed bitterly. "I did once. But I grew to see what kind of man he was. He's a monster. He even admitted as such. Oh, he raised me quite well, even as I became an Executor for the Burial Agency…but he doesn't love me…unless it's the same way someone loves a pet, and that's being generous. But…the point is, whatever that fire was, I was left touched by it. So was a friend of mine, Shirou. He was adopted by an enemy of my guardian's. Kiritsugu Emiya, the very man who caused the fire. He probably adopted Shirou to assuage his guilt. Whereas Kirei adopted me on a whim, presumably for his own amusement."

Medusa was silent for a time, before she finally said, " _I don't like this place. Whatever the fire was…remnants of it and its victims linger, like grudge-filled ghosts. I believe in this country they're called_ onryo."

"Yeah, I understand. I won't linger any longer. Come on, Rider. Let's head to school…"

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and Medusa have had a heart to heart. This wasn't in the original version of the story by any means. The next chapter will have Shinji's comeuppance, and (maybe) Sakura summoning Assassin…**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	5. Chapter 4: Shinji's Fatal Mistake

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **SHINJI'S FATAL MISTAKE**

As they made their way through their morning classes, Hadrian asked, via their link, _Medusa, do you sense any other Servants present?_

 _No, none. I sense a few Magi, aside from yourself and Sakura. They're all older students._

 _Probably Rin and Shirou. Leave them be for now. Rin's going to be a Master, and Shirou may end up as one, but we don't attack them for hypotheticals_.

 _Understood. However, there is an older student who seems to be radiating killing intent towards you, and ill-will towards Sakura_.

Hadrian scoffed. _If he's got blue-hair, that's Shinji Matou, the wannabe pimp Magus, even if his magical power is as deep as a puddle, much like his gene pool, and that's me being generous. He's one of the few humans I'd ask you to feed off._

 _And why is that?_

 _He raped Sakura, abused her physically and verbally_ , Hadrian said. _And that family is a shitstain on all Magi everywhere, and that's saying something. I haven't done anything yet because I couldn't find anything creative enough that I could get away with. His grandfather is, despite being a monster, still considered useful by the Magus Association, and too powerful to have a Sealing Designation slapped on him, not without Sakura getting one too. Goddamn amoral fuckwits at Clock Tower…still, I wouldn't say no if an attempt at using Bellerophon near the Matou mansion went a little off-target._

Hadrian got the impression that Medusa nodded her currently Astralized head. Nice to see that he had some support from her…

* * *

He had intended to go after Shinji himself, but the stupid blue-haired fuck decided to try and be proactive. Never mind that the last time they had fought, shortly before the abduction to another world, Hadrian had struck a number of nerve clusters that left Shinji limping for weeks, and incontinent for longer. Never mind that Hadrian was an Executor, albeit an unofficial one. Never mind that trying to gank him while he was going to the toilet during the lunch break, while tactically sound towards someone of lesser capabilities, didn't hold water with him. Never mind that his grandfather would probably have told him that Hadrian had already summoned a Servant.

The upshot was that Shinji ended up being half-drowned in a freshly-used urinal, and Hadrian Apparated him to his apartment, pausing only to ask Rider to Deastralize so that she could Apparate with him. Hadrian looked down at Shinji, who was still dazed from his near-death experience. "Shinji, Shinji, Shinji…it's not proper to try and proposition someone like that in a toilet. Besides, I don't swing that way. I've heard rumours that Issei does, true, but I just think he's like that. Or maybe he's closeted. I don't know what Buddhism's stance on homosexuality is, but I personally don't mind if he is gay."

Shinji's attempt at retorting was broken off when he vomited copiously.

"Yeah, didn't like that, did you? Strange. I heard imbibing urine does wonders for the body. How'd they put it in that _League of Gentlemen_ show that Zelretch had me watch before coming back here? Aqua Vita(1)?"

A rather disgusted sound came from Medusa's lips. "It was a fad even back in my time. I'd rather it had been forgotten."

Hadrian nodded, before he knelt down next to Shinji. "Now, Shinji…you really are a disgrace to that name. I mean, I love _Evangelion_ , and as much as a wimp as Shinji Ikari is, he at least tries to do the right thing. You, though, you're a stupid little shitstain. Why Shirou was friends with you, I've no idea."

"Fuck you, Kotomine. Bet you wouldn't be so tough if it weren't for your daddy," Shinji sneered, getting shakily to his feet.

"He's not my father, but my guardian," Hadrian said. "Anyway, do you want to know the reason why I haven't turned you into a bloody smear? Well, at first it was Sakura. She didn't want to see you get hurt. Misplaced loyalty and love to someone who didn't deserve it, what can you do? But even when she realised what you were really like…well, your grandfather was too powerful. Even as useless in magecraft as you are, he still wants you as breeding material, he made that very clear."

"So? That means you can't touch me!" Shinji snarled.

"No, that means I just need to be a little creative," Hadrian retorted. "When I was kidnapped not so long ago, I learned a few new things." He put out his hand, the palm facing Shinji, and, focusing on his hatred for this pathetic excuse for a human being, snarled coldly a single word. " _Crucio_."

The response was immediate. Shinji convulsed and writhed, screaming hoarsely as he collapsed to the floor. Not that it would do him much good, due to the Bounded Fields Hadrian had erected. Hadrian ceased casting the curse after a few seconds. "The Cruciatus Curse. Sheer, unadulterated agony. While there are plenty of worse spells developed by magecraft, this is particularly singular in purpose. I met a boy whose parents were tortured into a catatonic state by having the curse applied to them for too long. The guy who ordered my kidnapping handed out this curse to followers and enemies alike like candy at Halloween. I'm going to use it until you are completely and utterly broken, pissing and shitting yourself."

"You can't!" Shinji yelled desperately. "Sakura would hate you…"

"Shinji, Shinji, Shinji…Sakura knew I was going to do this, sooner or later, and she's made her peace with it. Don't you realise that she's sick and tired of what you did to her? The sad thing is, I actually do feel sorry for you, a little. You raped Sakura on Zouken's orders, all to keep the Crest Worms from getting too frisky…and to further break her. You feel inadequate because you don't really have magic. Oh, you can use Mystic Codes, and your knowledge of theory is impressive…but the thing is, _you hurt Sakura_. I may not be a good guy. Try being raised by Kirei Kotomine and end up being a good guy. But I value my friends, and I have standards. You pissed me off long ago, Shinji. Today was a long time coming. Unlike Shirou, I know there are some people you can't save, that you shouldn't. I am an Executor of the Burial Agency, even if in a very deniable capacity. I've faced down Magi and Dead Apostles. Neither you nor your grandfather scare me. Don't worry, you'll live. Though I doubt you'll be in any fit state to appreciate it. I'd say that I would try hard not to enjoy this…but that would be a lie. _Crucio!_ "

* * *

He had to hurry, given that he was absent from school during the lunch break, but for about fifteen minutes, he subjected Shinji Matou to the Cruciatus. The blue-haired boy was reduced to a catatonic state, twitching and, as Hadrian predicted, soiling himself. Hadrian then used a Memory Charm, overpowered, to wipe Shinji's memory completely. Hell, he didn't have his toilet training anymore.

Hadrian Apparated back, and then stuck Shinji in one of the cubicles, grimacing at having to pull off the pants and underpants of the boy, using a cleaning charm to get rid of the waste. He then left in a panic, screaming for help, that Shinji had had some sort of episode. All in all, a good day's work…

* * *

Hadrian knew that this was going to happen. Zouken doubtless made an irate phone call to Kirei, and Kirei, after school was finished, summoned Hadrian to the church he presided over. Hadrian, reluctantly, did so, sending Medusa to escort Sakura back home.

"Is this the point where you say, I've disappointed you, or that I'm grounded?" Hadrian snarked at Kirei.

"Perish the thought. Officially, I should censure you for taking precipitate action against Shinji Matou. But even Zouken knows that Shinji Matou's worth was virtually nil. He makes Raditz look like a paragon of strength and utility by comparison," Kirei said in his deep voice. "In truth, I'm impressed you restrained yourself from killing him or taking away his reproductive organs. The main thing I am truly disappointed in is that you didn't find a way to take your time. That, and my need to smooth things over with the police and the hospital, to ensure they didn't look too hard. As it was, the general consensus is that Shinji Matou, due to his aggravation towards you, had some sort of cerebral ischaemia while attempting to go to the toilet. Certainly, a number of small blood vessels ruptured in his brain."

"Wow. I didn't think the Cruciatus would do that. Must have been a secondary effect brought about by stress," Hadrian mused. "Anyway, thanks for smoothing things over. Is Zouken demanding recompense?"

"He hinted very heavily to me that you should win the Holy Grail on his behalf, both as weregild for Shinji, as well as an incentive for him to allow Sakura to leave him."

"He already made that bargain, Sakura told me that much," Hadrian said. "He's not going to honour it, I'm sure."

"I have taught you well, my apprentice," Kirei remarked. "Still, it sets a bad precedent. While you are not officially affiliated with the Church, you are well known as an Executor of considerable skill, known to be somewhat mercenary."

"The Heretic Executor, they call me, or Serpent-Tongue Hadrian," Hadrian said. "Caren and Ciel joke about it, and so does that vampire Solomon. But the others…" He shook his head. "Never mind. Anyway, I never really cared about my reputation, save for when I could use it to make my enemies piss themselves in fear."

"They call you the Burial Agency's answer to the Magus Killer," Kirei said, before scoffing contemptuously. "Ruthless though you are, you aren't to the degree he was. In any case, I have word that a pair of Magi from Clock Tower are already making their way to Fuyuki to be Masters. And the von Einzberns have confirmed that their Master has already summoned a Servant. Namely, Berserker."

"And as I have a Rider Servant," Hadrian mused, "so that means Saber, Lancer, Archer, Caster and Assassin are yet to be summoned."

"Indeed…"

* * *

What happened to Shinji was the talk of the school the next day, and Sakura, when she arrived, seemed both a little more skittish than usual…and yet glad in another. They had their lunch on the roof again, Hadrian erecting a Bounded Field to deter anyone from coming up. Sakura greeted him with a hug and a kiss, before they settled down to eat. "Grandfather was furious with you…but I gained my Command Seals. He had me summon a Servant…and…well, here she is."

 _She?_ Hadrian thought, before a cloaked figure appeared. At her oldest, the girl couldn't have been any older than her mid-teens, and that was being generous. Grey-silver hair framed cute features, but with too-old eyes, golden coloured. One of them was marred by a scar. The cloak covering her body was ragged. "Mummy?" the girl asked. "Is this Daddy?"

Hadrian stared at Sakura, who made a 'just go with it' gesture. Hadrian eventually nodded. "And who are you?"

"…Assassin," the girl said.

"You do **_not_** want to know what she was wearing under that cloak when I summoned her, only that whoever dressed her must be a sick pervert," Sakura said with a grimace. "I've given her some of my old clothes to wear. But…she just wants a mother."

"Yeesh," Hadrian said. "So…does she understand our agreement?"

"I won't hurt Daddy unless Daddy hurts Mummy," the young Assassin said. "And I won't hurt Mummy's friends. Unless we need to."

"…We?" Hadrian asked, with a sinking feeling.

"Oh, right. She's not so much a single person as much as a collective of them. Hadrian, could you bring out Rider?"

Medusa, without any prompting, Deastralized. Her hackles seemed up a little at the sight of the girl. Probably because she was an Assassin Servant. Assassin, however, merely cocked her head inquisitively. "You're tall," she said. "Mummy says I shouldn't hurt you unless we have to. She's a good Mummy. She keeps us warm."

Shortly afterwards, having finished his lunch, Hadrian stood, and walked over to the corner, gesturing for Sakura to follow him. They both indicated for their Servants to remain where they were, and that they did, the golden eyes of Assassin meeting the blindfold of Medusa. In low whispers, after erecting Privacy Charms he learned in the other world, Hadrian hissed, "Who is she?"

"You tell me yours, and I will tell you mine."

Hadrian, after a moment, said, "Medusa."

Sakura's eyes widened briefly. "And she hasn't…?"

"She can't petrify me with the blindfold on. She's pretty nice. What about yours?"

"…Jack the Ripper."

Hadrian looked from Sakura to the cloak-clad girl, and then back. Then, in a rather flat tone, he said, "That's Jack the Ripper. The serial killer."

"…It's a long story. She's an abandoned child, the collective consciousness of abandoned and mistreated children from Victorian England, embodied in a single child that wants to go back…where it's warm. Into the womb."

"…Okay, _ew_. I'm sure Freud would have something to say about that."

"It was bad enough when she was summoned. Like I said, she was wearing something out of some sick perversion."

"I'll take your word for it, as long as she's not wearing it now," Hadrian said. "And we can trust her?"

"It was touch and go for a while last night…but I managed to get her to understand things. All she needs is a good hug. I managed to explain that I wasn't her real mother, that she shouldn't try opening me up to get back where she wanted. And I've persuaded her not to go after you either. If need be, I'll use a Command Seal, but I'd rather use those only if necessary."

"…So…Rider, Assassin…and Kirei told me the von Einzberns have already summoned Berserker," Hadrian said. "I think we live in interesting times. In the cursed sense of the word…"

* * *

In another world, in four separate locations across Britain, plans were being made, and rituals prepared. Their intentions were all the same, even if the motivations were different. Beneath an ancient, decrepit house, in an obscure room of a castle doubling as a school, in the cellar of a mansion out in the country, and in a chamber beneath the headquarters of a shadow government.

Their target was the same, even if what they intended to do to the target was different. Some wanted him dead. Others wanted him captured, to suffer. And others still wanted to help him.

But all the same, they intended to travel to another world and find one person.

Harry Potter.

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you have it. Shinji's met a humiliating end, and Sakura pre-empts Caster by summoning an adorable serial killer of an Assassin. Oh, and Hadrian's past is about to catch up with him…**

 **Review-answering time! A lot of you were asking me to write flashbacks to what happened in the TWT. I've decided not to do that, instead alluding to events that happened. In a later chapter, when Hadrian's allies (such as they are) end up on the scene, we might have some elaboration. But for now, just use your imaginations. I will give a few details in answering Sakura Lisel's review below.**

 **Also, a lot of you guessed correctly as to who Assassin was going to be. Because, let's face it, Jackie's adorable. Plus, given Sakura's past, they'd get along just fine.**

 **KyonSmith13** **: Having only a passing familiarity with** ** _Tsukihime_** **, I honestly couldn't tell you. Hadrian didn't get involved with that mess, but he knows Arc through her adoptive grandfather (he had met Zelretch on a few occasions prior to his being snatched back to the Potterverse), and they get along well. Hadrian and Arc hit it off, and Hadrian reckons it's better to be on the good side of one of the True Ancestors than on her bad side. While Caren is probably the nearest thing he has to a sister, Arc is probably closer to being an actual sister figure in his life.**

 **Marckaizer** **: I disagree, and to be honest, not all of my stories have bashing. You are free to read any stories that I have written that don't have bashing, as I generally warn people in the summary whether there is bashing or things that can be construed as such. I only bash characters when it suits the story.**

 **Sakura Lisel** **: Umbridge only came along later, in the aftermath of the Third Task, but Snape pretty much got Hadrian's ire straight away. However, Hadrian restrained himself (more to protect Sakura than anything else), and actually got along well with Hermione, Luna, and the Weasleys (even Ron!). He did get more and more annoyed by the idiocy of the wizards, as well as their contempt towards common sense. Hadrian wiped out most of the Death Eaters in the graveyard, including Voldemort, using his own little fire-based magecraft called the Pyroclasm Party. Unfortunately, the death of Malfoy and so many Pureblood scions sent the Ministry into a tizzy, and the Aurors were sent to arrest Hadrian, who basically began maiming them (or killing any who used the Killing Curse). As Dumbledore seemed set to try and attack him, claiming he was tainted by the Horcrux (not that he put it that way: he just claimed possession by Voldemort), Zelretch used Kaleidoscope to snatch them away. I've skimmed over some details, like how Sakura was Hadrian's hostage in the Second Task, but that was mentioned earlier.**

 **1\. This is a reference to a rather gross, but funny scene in the BBC comedy series** ** _The League of Gentlemen_** **, where toad-obsessed Harvey Denton expounds upon the benefits of urine-drinking to his understandably bemused and disgusted nephew Benjamin.**


	6. Chapter 5: Convergence

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **CONVERGENCE**

 _A few weeks later, at the beginning of the Grail War_ …

Illyasviel von Einzbern was bored. She hadn't made any real outings since coming to Japan, partly on the insistence of Sella and Leysritt. Really, those two were worrywarts. As long as she had Heracles, the strongest Berserker, how could she come to any real harm? And that went without saying about her own abilities in magecraft: she had been enhanced to a superhuman standard, a mana generator whose magic circuits doubled as the Command Seals needed to control Berserker.

Hence why she snuck out. She wanted to find _him_ , the target of her wrath and her curiosity and her envy. Shirou Emiya, the cuckoo her traitorous father accepted into the nest. A boy she wasn't sure whether she wanted to kill or just…well, be a _sister_ to, despite Old Man Acht's orders. She _hated_ these mixed feelings she had about him.

Then again, there was a lot about this she hated. Like the fact that she was becoming the Lesser Grail, and even if she didn't, she'd be lucky to live more than a year beyond this Grail War. She looked ruefully down at her body, even as she kept a childish smile on her face. She was eighteen, and yet, she had the body of someone about half her age. That was probably one of the things she truly despised Old Man Acht for. Not the tough training, not the agonising operations, and not the blatantly false propaganda about the Japanese (Illya intended to troll any Japanese Masters, though, with what Acht claimed about them being barbarians), but the fact that she would never reach adulthood.

It was a bitter irony. Sella and Leysritt were only about two years old, but the Homunculi maids looked and acted like adults. Her own mother, Irisviel, was only nine years old when she died, although as with Sella and Leysritt, she had an adult body from the beginning. Illyasviel was naturally born, but being part-Homunculus, as well as the operations and experiments done on her, stunted her growth.

Illya was so caught up in her thoughts, she very nearly didn't notice who it was she nearly bumped into. But then, she heard someone remark in decent German, " _Mein Gott, it's a cute little albino!_ "

She scowled, and looked up to deliver a biting rebuke, only to find herself staring into the emerald eyes of the Heretic Executor.

One of the things Jubstacheit did was obtain intelligence of possible Masters, as well as known associates of Shirou. One who was both was Hadrian Kotomine, the adopted ward (apparently Hadrian refused to be called a son) of Overseer Kirei Kotomine. Kirei apparently adopted Hadrian after the Fuyuki Fire, in parallel to Shirou being adopted by her father.

While young, Hadrian Kotomine was something of a prodigy within the Burial Agency, even if he wasn't one of their official Executors (insomuch as a secretive squad of fanatical hunters for the Church could be considered 'official', anyway). He had gone on a number of missions for the Burial Agency, as well as for Clock Tower, tracking down Magi who had either Sealing Designations slapped on them, or just plain kill orders. He was also known for being an excellent hunter of Dead Apostles. Interestingly, despite this, he was said to be on cordial terms with Magi like Waver Velvet, or the infamous White Princess of the True Ancestors, Arcueid Brunestud.

He was an unrepentant iconoclast with a mercenary nature that had him being dubbed the Burial Agency's answer to the Magus Killer, or the Heretic Executor. He had gone silent for several months, only to return weeks ago in the company of one of the Matous, claiming they were kidnapped by cultists.

Illya looked at the emerald eyes peering out from behind glasses, the burn scars marring part of his face, the messy black hair. He was unimpressive, even a little shabby (his school uniform was worn rather sloppily), but she knew better than to set store by appearances alone. Especially given he had opened with some of his trademark trolling.

Before she could open her mouth to fire off either some witty retort or give a threat in a cutesy voice, she found herself swept up in a hug, lifted off the ground. " _Hey! Let me down!_ " she protested.

" _Aww, but you looked like you had a big infestation of wrackspurts. I was told by an interesting acquaintance of mine that a hug a day keeps the wrackspurts away_ ," Hadrian Kotomine said with an unrepentant smirk as he put her down. " _By the way, I love your little ushanka or whatever you call that furry little hat. I thought that was more of a Russian thing than a German thing, but hey, what do I know about millinery?_ "

Illya was certain that, even as Berserker was ready to pummel this insolent fool into a bloody mess if he should prove a threat to her, there was something about Berserker that was laughing at the situation. Illya didn't find it funny. True, she exploited her child-like body for anything she could, either to get people to underestimate her or to simply troll them…but this was another matter entirely. And she KNEW that Kotomine knew who she was, given that he was speaking to her in German, not Japanese, not English, but her native German. Well, save for 'wrackspurts', whatever the hell those were.

And then, his demeanour turned deadly serious, and where his expression was jovial, it was now cold as ice. " _Listen to me, von Einzbern. I think I can guess why you are here, apart from the Grail War. Your stepbrother is a good friend of mine. I like keeping my friends, I have so few. And he's a good cook. If you decide to just talk to him civilly, share stories about Kiritsugu Emiya, then that's fine. But if you have come to kill him…I'm going to take exception to that._ "

" _My, my, how uncouth_ ," Illya chided. " _Was that a threat, Heretic Executioner?_ "

" _No, that wasn't a threat. This is a threat. Try to kill Shirou, and I will kill you. See the difference? Go home to Germany and play with your dolls. The Grail War is in deadly earnest._ "

Illya fought back an urge to Deastralize Berserker and have him tear this insolent boy, younger than she was (how _dare_ he suggest that she play with her dolls?!), apart. Instead, she just walked away, before she said over her shoulder, " _I look forward to playing with you, Heretic Executor_ …"

* * *

Hadrian let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. As he did so, he heard Jackie say softly from nearby, "Why did you not let me kill her, Daddy?"

The diminutive Assassin walked out of the shadows, and up to Hadrian. Hadrian had sent Medusa to escort Shirou and Sakura to Shirou's place. They swapped Servants, at least in terms of whom was escorting whom, as a measure to gain more trust, and Hadrian, admittedly, now trusted Jack the Ripper more than he had before. Not that much, admittedly, as the girl was indeed dangerous. But they had something of a camaraderie now. He actually showed the girl some genuine affection.

"Because the moment you did, we'd have Berserker to contend with," Hadrian said. "Besides, did you notice her eyes?"

"Yes. They were like rubies. Very pretty. And…they were a bit like our own. Pain. Sadness. Misery."

Hadrian nodded, before he hauled Jackie off the ground, and let her ride on his shoulders. "Hmm. Well spotted, Jackie. Her mother died during the last Grail War, and her father died five years later. I'd bet any money that the von Einzberns said he abandoned her, but from what information Kirei told me, the von Einzberns would have prevented Kiritsugu Emiya from getting her back, out of spite, given that he destroyed the Grail."

"That's mean," Jackie pouted.

"No argument from me there."

As they walked the rest of the way to Shirou's house, Jack the Ripper perched on his shoulders, Hadrian thought back to this morning, when he spotted the Command Seals on Shirou's hand. Immediately, he had cornered the young Magus, and warned him about what was going on. Once they had dinner, Shirou was going to have a proper discussion with Sakura and Hadrian about whether he was still going to summon a Heroic Spirit or not.

Given recent events, Shirou was strongly considering it. Mysterious deaths had been happening around Fuyuki, down to at least two Servants. Jackie had done some reconnaissance, and had managed to find out that a Caster Servant was ensconced in Ryuudou Temple, while there was either a Lancer or a Saber going around killing people. A Master who was too zealous about silencing witnesses, when erasing their memories would suffice.

Still, Shirou was yet to decide for certain. And Hadrian and Sakura intended to ally with him long enough to deal with Caster and Lancer, and perhaps with Berserker too. Given the possibility of the von Einzbern girl having a grudge against Shirou (Hadrian had guessed correctly that this girl was the Magus Killer's daughter), that was a very real possibility…

* * *

After a quick dinner with Taiga (she had already met Jackie and Medusa, whom Hadrian claimed were other victims of the cult that kidnapped himself and Sakura), once the ebullient English teacher had left, they went into the shed that doubled as Shirou's magecraft Workshop. "I found this the other day," the redhead said as he shifted boxes, revealing an old magic circle present.

Hadrian peered at it, and nodded, Sakura holding his hand. "It'll do."

Medusa, who was currently Deastralized, stiffened. "Hadrian, I sense multiple presences converging on this house. Not Servants, but certainly magical. Not Magi either."

After a moment, Sakura said, "Assassin, take up a position to observe them. Only attack when they do, or we give the signal."

Jackie nodded, and then faded away. Hadrian then shoved a printout into Shirou's hands. "Shirou, we've got company according to Rider, and it isn't friendly. Pump your mana into the circle while reciting that. Whichever Servant you get, have them back me up, okay? Sakura, stay here and direct Assassin from here."

Sakura nodded, and she gave him a quick kiss for luck. "Where are you going?" Shirou asked.

Hadrian glared back. "If I'm right, and I hope I'm not, they're here for me. I'll buy you time."

* * *

Just as Hadrian emerged from the shed, a mist gathering around thanks to Jackie, a group of about a couple of dozen robed figures emerged, led by a hideous, squat woman resembling some perverse experiment in hybridising a toad and a human. Hadrian recognised her straight away. After all, she had come to investigate him for his part in the disappearance of a blonde little ponce who had tried to attack Sakura. Dolores Umbridge. Most of those here were Aurors, Magical Britain's police force, though there were a few others accompanying them.

" _Hem, hem_ ," she said, clearing her throat in that annoying way of hers. "Harry Potter, I am here to arrest you for the murders of…" She ducked in time to avoid a fusillade of Black Keys.

"Rider," Hadrian said as he brought out more Black Keys, activating the blades, and fanning them into a sort of shield. "Back me up."

The purple-haired Servant said, "Understood. Do I kill them?"

"Keep the toad bitch alive. I want to question her. If they surrender, knock them out. Otherwise, use your judgement. Keep collateral damage to a bare minimum." He then looked at the other Aurors as Medusa readied her stake-like daggers on chains. "The question you should be asking yourselves is, is this worth what you're getting paid?"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" screamed one man, but Hadrian, even as he dodged, swatted it with a Black Key, causing the weapon to shatter. That one was not an Auror, he knew. Still, the Black Keys could be used as a temporary shield against the Killing Curse. Good to know.

And that was when all hell broke loose. Assassin melted out of the mist, and eviscerated the man who had attacked Hadrian. And Hadrian and Medusa dodged out of the way of spellfire.

One thing Hadrian learned about the wizards of that world he was born in was that the wizards didn't use anything like Reinforcement. Then again, they were dependent more on wands than sheer willpower and discipline. There were many branches of their magic that were interesting, true, but physical enhancement was considered a dark discipline, especially if it was permanent. Well, unless exercise counted, and even they didn't do much of that.

He actually wished that Kiritsugu Emiya hadn't allowed his Magic Crest to be buried with him. Even though there wasn't much on it apparently (thanks to Kiritsugu's father, an immoral experimenter in the field of Dead Apostles), Emiya had apparently been known to use Time Alter magic from the Magic Crest.

A Black Key was flung at another man who had the temerity to fire the Killing Curse at him, but he dodged to the side to avoid it, the weapon instead embedding itself in the head of another man, who fell with a look of terminal surprise. Medusa's daggers embedded themselves in others. Blasting Hexes flung him backwards, and he was caught by Medusa. Looks like some of them actually learned from fighting him last time, shortly before Zelretch brought him back here. Jackie helped even things out, disappearing and reappearing into the fog that blanketed the area, giggling as she attacked.

While Hadrian was confident in being probably able to defeat them, even without Medusa or Jackie, there was Shirou and Sakura to consider, and these idiots wouldn't care about collateral damage. Then again, hopefully, all he needed to do was buy time for Shirou to summon Saber.

As if on cue, the doors of the shed suddenly belched brilliant blue light, causing the wizards to ease up on their spellfire. "Rider, Assassin," Hadrian said with a painful grin. "I think the cavalry's here."

"What are you plotting, Potter?!" sneered the second man who had fired the Killing Curse at him.

"Just a little something called Bringing a Sword to a Magic Fight," Hadrian retorted. "Anyway, my name is _Hadrian Kotomine_. This lovely lady is Rider, that girl was Assassin, and this…"

As if the universe was acceding to his cue, a woman stepped out of the shed. She appeared to be in her late teens at the oldest, dressed in a blue armoured dress. Her demeanour was regal. Blonde hair, tied up in a bun, framed androgynous but beautiful features, emerald eyes, so much like his own, staring out across at the wizards. One of her gauntleted hands clutched an invisible sword.

Hadrian completed his introduction with a flourish. "This is Saber."

Umbridge scoffed. "There are over twenty of us, and only four of you, counting a filthy brat and a little girl playing at being a knight."

Saber stiffened, her eyes narrowing, and Hadrian winced. "Ooh, you shouldn't have done that."

"And why not?" Umbridge asked with a sneer. And that was when Saber spoke.

Her voice was cool, calm, and clear, eloquent and regal. It was the tone of a born leader and a proud warrior. And there was also an undercurrent of anger beneath the surface. He could see the Aurors, Umbridge, and her hangers-on realising that they had screwed up, big time.

"Because you fail to realise one thing," Saber said, hefting her invisible sword. "I do not **_play_** at being a knight. I will protect my Master, and if you are a threat to him, I will eliminate such a threat…"

* * *

Meanwhile, just outside a castle within the forests on the outskirts of Fuyuki, Illya was frowning as she looked at Sella, the Homunculus maid's clothing torn and damaged. " _I beg your pardon?_ " she asked in German. She had found the maid fleeing from the scene, trying to search for Illya.

" _I said that Leysritt died. The intruders used what appeared to be a low-grade Mystic Code, a wand of some sort, and killed Leysritt with a spell coloured green, speaking the words_ 'Avada Kedavra'. _Leysritt died the instant the spell hit her. The intruders spoke English, but they were also dressed in robes. They did not appear to recognise the name of von Einzbern. Instead, they demanded to use the castle as a base to search for one Harry Potter, though they claimed he also went by the name of Hadrian Kotomine._ "

" _Kotomine_ …" Illya hissed. " _How did they bypass the Bounded Fields?_ "

" _I know not, Lady Illya_ ," Sella said. " _They seemed to teleport within the atrium of the castle. They did seem confused about where they were, so ending up here was a mistake, albeit a serendipitous one for them. I fled in order to warn you._ "

Illya nodded. " _Thank you. Now, I think we should put the fear of God into them. Or rather, a demigod._ " A vicious grin split her features, one that had no call being on a girl her apparent age. " _It's time to send in Berserker…_ "

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, the wizards have come, some have attacked Hadrian and Shirou, and some have attacked Illya. Oh, and Arturia's come to save the day. What next, hmm?**

 **Review-answering time!** **KnightOfZaku** **: I did petrify Shinji in** ** _Separated at Birth_** **, and have him left at the bottom of the Mion River, but yeah, there's sure to be more worse ends for him. Still, being half-drowned in a used urinal has to be a pretty crappy prelude to what happened next. And while Caren won't be playing a role in this story beyond allusions, she and Hadrian have a good relationship, based on mutual trolling.**

 **tl34lt12** **: TBH, I had the same attitude to Rin, if not as vitriolic, until I started watching the** ** _Unlimited Blade Works_** **adaptation, which actually endeared her to me a lot more. Rin and Archer will be making an appearance later, and Harry will mostly troll them both.**

 **Darkscythe Drake** **: Basically setting shit on fire. Plus whatever the Burial Agency taught him.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 6: The King of Knights and

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **THE KING OF KNIGHTS AND THE HERETIC EXECUTOR**

In the aftermath of the battle, most of those who had come, including Umbridge, had fled, Apparating or using Portkeys. Hadrian Transfigured the bodies and then created Portkeys that sent them into the Mion River, using spells to clean up the worst messes left by the battle, particularly Jackie, who was now standing protectively close to Sakura. There was one left, the man who had fired the Killing Curse at him, which he left unconscious and tied up, whom he intended to interrogate at his leisure.

As he finished his grim work, he felt the emerald eyes of Saber boring into his back. He knew why. "I remind you too much of your former Master, don't I?" he asked the sword-wielding Servant, smiling a little when he heard her gasp in surprise. It was a soft, almost unnoticeable gasp, but he heard it all the same. "I'm sorry if I do. If it makes you uncomfortable, that is. I won't apologise for my methods, just for how they make you feel."

"How would you know?" Saber demanded. Shirou had gone inside to cook for now.

Hadrian turned to face Saber, smiling sadly. "I should introduce myself," he said, holding out his hand, which she reluctantly took. "I am Hadrian Kotomine, and while it may not be a pleasure for you, it's a pleasure for me to meet you. I mean, you are Arturia Pendragon, aren't you?"

Saber's eyes widened, then narrowed. She took her gauntlet-clad hand away from him as quickly as politeness would allow. "How do you know?"

"An educated guess. I have some questions for you about your Master and what happened at the end of the Grail War. The fact that you remember your former Master is good. And before you ask, I took my guardian's last name. I was born Harry Potter, but I left that name behind. Also, while we are opponents, I do not intend to harm Shirou, or any Master I am a friend of."

"…I see," Saber…no, Arturia said. Eventually, she said, "If you are here under flag of parley, I will listen to you, and answer any questions I see fit to. However, treachery will buy only my sword through your heart…"

* * *

Shirou bustled around, making tea. Sakura and Jackie sat close to Hadrian, the former all but hugging him, with Medusa standing alert nearby. Arturia sat in an elegant kneeling position, the _seiza_ position. "While we wait, maybe we should start at the beginning," Hadrian said. "Can I ask you what actually happened at the end of the previous Grail War?"

Arturia scowled, clearly not liking this, but she eventually said, "I was facing off against Archer, the only other Servant left standing, and he had declared that he would make me his wife by force. My Master arrived, only to use his last two remaining Command Seals to order me to destroy the Grail. I know not what happened next, as with our contract severed, I disappeared in the backlash of the Grail's destruction. How is this relevant?"

"I thought the Magus Killer might have given his reasons. Never mind." Hadrian sighed. "Arturia, the Grail's destruction caused worse than just a backlash. There was a massive fire that consumed part of Fuyuki. Shirou and I were caught up in it. I was lucky to only get these rather rakish scars. Shirou had his memories burnt away, and, ironically, was saved by the very man who caused it, your former Master."

Shirou nodded as he continued making his way through the kitchen. "I never even knew about my father's reputation until Hadrian here told me. I was…shocked. I knew he was a Magus, but not an assassin and a mercenary."

"I see," Arturia said. "Well, your hospitality is certainly better than what your father showed me, Master."

"Don't call me Master, just call me Shirou," Shirou said with a smile. "Anyway, Hadrian here was also caught up in the Fuyuki Fire, and rescued by Kirei Kotomine. Apparently they were on opposite sides of the Grail War. Ironic, huh?"

Arturia's expression suggested that she didn't see the irony there, but she merely stepped around the issue. "So, the three of you are allies?"

"We're friends," Sakura said, cuddling Hadrian close to her (and Jackie doing the same to Sakura). "I've known both of them for a long time. I don't want to see either of them get hurt."

Hadrian nodded. "While we will probably be pitting our Servants against each other, we don't intend to target each other. We're very different. Shirou's got something of a sense of chivalry, even if he doesn't have any real sense of self-preservation, while I…well, I sort of disdain chivalry, even if I can admire it."

"But if you were in the inferno caused by the Grail's destruction…it can't have been long enough…" Arturia began.

Hadrian nodded. "It's starting up early. Only ten years have passed. Kiritsugu Emiya died five years ago from some sort of illness. Maybe even a curse. My guardian is pretty tight-lipped on what happened. That's why I asked you. I wanted to know whether you knew whether something was wrong with the Grail, or whether Kiritsugu Emiya said anything."

"No, not a thing. I apologise that I am unable to tell you more about why my former Master did what he did. He shared little with me, and viewed me with cold indifference, even disdain. You seem to think it important?"

"Why did he destroy the Grail when it was in his reach?" Hadrian shrugged. "I think it's important. A pity he didn't bother sharing his reasons with you."

"He rarely did," Arturia said. "Kiritsugu Emiya saw me as a tool, and little more. My apologies if that offends you, Shirou, but I speak of my experience with the man. About the most positive thing I can tell you about him was the love he had for his wife and his daughter. I suppose that's the side of him you saw too."

Shirou nodded solemnly. "I've already made my peace with my dad being an assassin, ever since Hadrian here told me. It took a while for me to come to terms with it, but still…" He brought some tea to Arturia, who took it gratefully.

"And there's more," Sakura said. "Hadrian's confirmed that the von Einzbern representative is the Magus Killer's daughter."

"Doesn't look her age, though," Hadrian said. "Unless she was a baby when her father went to war."

"No, the daughter I saw was eight years old, though she appeared younger," Arturia said after sipping her tea. "And more to the point, what about those Magi we fought, using the unusual spells?"

"Ah, well, that's a long story…"

* * *

Illya had a rather vicious smirk on her face as she looked at the aftermath of Berserker's rampage. True, Berserker had lost one of his lives (though that had taken a few of those normally-lethal green spells), but they had either fled with their tails between their legs, died, or, in the case of one, got knocked out. Given that they had taken Leysritt's life, that was a fair trade. " _Good job, Berserker_ ," she said to the towering hulk of muscle next to her.

The massive Servant retained just enough clarity of mind, a mere sliver, to nod in acknowledgement. He looked like some roughly-hewn statue made of granite, muscles upon muscles, his hair wild, his eyes gleaming with barely-restrained wrath, his facial features heavy and brutal like some ancient savage ancestor of modern man. Heracles, the most famous hero of Ancient Greece. One of the many bastard children of Zeus. And her loyal partner.

" _Lady Illya_ ," Sella said, checking Leysritt's body. " _While Leysritt is dead, her functionality as the Dress of Heaven is unimpeded. All she needs is mana. With your permission, I will have the Dress of Heaven formed and stored somewhere safe._ "

" _Granted_ ," Illya said, looking over at her maids, one now dead, the other alive. She had to admit, for all Leysritt's faults, she would miss her, and she knew that the stoic, even harsh Sella felt the same way. " _Sella, what is your analysis of the situation, of these combatants?_ "

" _They use magic I have no knowledge of. It seems closer to that from the Age of the Gods, including teleportation_ ," Sella mused, as she began reverting Leysritt to the form of the Dress of Heaven, ready to be stored in safety. " _That being said, while they were vicious and pragmatic in their attacks, they had little concept of using cover properly, or evasion. They also seemed surprised that Berserker survived their attacks. Admittedly, so would another Master, but they would at least be able to rationalise it as being a Noble Phantasm. While very dangerous to say the least, they are clearly far from invincible. Though they probably believed that._ "

Illya moved over to their captive, and peered at the arms. " _Curious. That's an artificial hand, apparently powered by magic. And what's this?_ " She saw a tattoo on the other arm, exposed by a shredded sleeve. A tattoo depicting a skull, with a snake emerging from the mouth. The tattoo itself seemed like a magical one too. She didn't recognise the emblem, though. She began checking the corpses' arms, and noted that all of them had the same tattoo.

So, maybe they belonged to the same group. Rogue Magi who developed their own magecraft? Or maybe it was something else.

" _Berserker, I hate to ask you to do menial work_ ," Illya said. " _Cleaning up the trash notwithstanding, anyway._ "

While Berserker didn't actually say anything, she felt a feeling of mirth wash out from the madness she felt through their link.

" _Well, would you kindly help me get this idiot to my room? I have some rope, just in case I had recalcitrant guests who wish to reject my hospitality_ …"

* * *

Peter Pettigrew had not wanted to do this. After the Potter brat had managed to kill the Dark Lord, again, all that had been on his mind was escape. Fuck Potter, fuck Sirius Black, fuck the Death Eaters, fuck Magical Britain. Pettigrew had decided that he wanted to escape somewhere tropical and sunny, far away from Britain. Unfortunately, Malfoy had spotted him trying to escape, and captured him. He had forced Pettigrew to come along with him to this mission to another world, to capture Potter, and kill him.

Pettigrew knew this was going to end badly. Potter had become a monster, one who laughed as he threw those magic bayonet things with gleeful abandon. The Dark Lord had come back to full life for all of half an hour, and most of that was the speech, a speech that Potter had managed to escape during. He was still alive, as a wraith, but where, Pettigrew didn't know.

Anyway, they went across to this world in two teams, with a few others going with Umbridge as a third 'team' to ensure that Potter didn't escape his demise. And when they appeared in this castle, things went wrong. Oh, at first, things were all right, with the maids demanding something, first in German, then in Japanese, until they tried English. One went down really easy, but the other fled. Other maids appeared and attacked, but they went down easily.

And then, the monsters appeared.

One looked like a monster should, like a troll, only more like a man…and less like one. More like an embodiment of wrath, or a force of nature. Even its roars sounded more like some sort of natural disaster than anything remotely human.

If anything, though, the second monster was even worse. It took the form of a little girl, who directed the creature with shouted commands in German from cover. The only word Pettigrew recognised was 'Berserker', which seemed to be the name for the first monster. But that girl…she was so gleeful when his comrades were torn apart by the first monster's massive stone sword.

He wasn't expecting to wake up, but when he did, he found himself facing red, almost luminescent eyes, in unnaturally pale features, framed by white hair. The monster girl was sitting on his lap, as if he was Santa in a shopping centre, and she was expecting a present. "Hello, mister," she said, in good, if accented, English. "I am Illyasviel von Einzbern. What's your name?"

Pettigrew didn't trust himself to reply. In fact, he was on the verge of wetting himself. He was tied to a chair, while this little bitch was getting too close for comfort. Waaay too close. And he found something blocking his Animagus transformation.

The girl pouted. "You're no fun at all. I should have let Berserker squish you into raspberry jam. So, you will tell me what I want to know, and that won't happen."

Eventually, Pettigrew said, "Peter Pettigrew."

"See? You can do it if you know how. I'm using my Mystic Eyes on you to weaken you a little. Just enough to stop your escape, but you can talk. Anyway, I'd say nice to meet you, Mr Pettigrew…but I'd be lying. You killed one of my maids, and your friends have made a mess in the front hall."

Pettigrew whimpered, and felt his bladder let go. Illya leapt off him, and screamed, "Gross! Just because your friends made a mess doesn't mean I wanted you to make another one! And this is my favourite dress, too! Still, at least you're scared, which is good." She regained her composure with an effort. "Now, I am going to ask you questions, and if I don't like the answers or lack thereof…I will confiscate a body part. Do we have a sound basis for communication?"

Pettigrew nodded, whimpering. He needed to buy time so that he could assume his Animagus form and get the hell out of here. To hell with the Dark Lord, to hell with Hadrian Kotomine, and to hell with this demon in the form of a little girl!

"Good. Now, tell me…why are you so interested in Hadrian Kotomine?"

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Arturia and Shirou and Hadrian have had a discussion, Illya's kicked arse with Berserker, and Pettigrew is in deep shit.**

 **Now, before I get onto the reviews, I'd like to make an announcement, the subject of which many of you may have already noticed. I have recently finished my crossover between** ** _Fate/Zero_** **and the MCU (specifically** ** _Thor_** **, if you're going by the tags) called** ** _Light the Blue Touch Paper and Run Like Hell_** **. It's the first Nasuverse fic that I have done that I have completed (one-shots aside), and I'm hoping to do sequels before long.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Rude Guest** **: There's a few reasons why Hadrian left her alive in the first place (and there are similar reasons for her getting away this time). One, Hadrian likes to play with his food. Two, Umbridge is a coward, and makes sure she has plenty of meat shields between her and any dangerous opponent, and would flee the moment she was in any real danger. Three (and this, admittedly, only applies to the first time they had a physical confrontation), Zelretch snatched Hadrian and Sakura before Hadrian could get to Umbridge. Don't worry, the toad will discover the joys of vivisection later on.**

 **Fireofargentis** **: Most of my crossovers, to date, have been with** ** _Fate/Zero_** **. In addition, they generally had Harry coming to Fuyuki when he was grown up, as opposed to being raised in it.**

 **Guest** **: I agree with you on Rin. I generally detest** ** _tsundere_** **s in general (Asuka Langley Sohryu, despite her past, is frankly a cow, at least in the anime: her manga version is more tolerable), but Rin, or at least her** ** _Unlimited Blade Works_** **version, is tolerable, even likeable to a degree. I'm actually more of a fan of the** ** _kuudere_** **archetype.**

 **Fenrir of the North** **: Gabriel Herrol actually did a challenge, 'Everything for my Family', where Harry was to be paired with Irisviel. Nobody has taken them up on the challenge, at least for the Potterverse, though Iskander Mandoraekon has started an answer in their Short Story Drabbles compilation, and I did a partial answer, but as a crossover with** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **, called** ** _Kuja von Einzbern_** **. As for a Harry/Illya story, you'd have to age her up, obviously, or rather, have her appearance match her actual age (remember, she's actually 18 by the beginning of** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **, but looks and acts much younger). sakurademonalchemist actually started a Potterverse story along those lines,** ** _Gorgon_** **, where a post-UBW Illya was thrown back in time after Gilgamesh ripped her heart out, and I also attempted to do a couple of stories along similar lines with sakurademonalchemist's permission, a Potterverse crossover where Illya gets thrown back in time in an adult body and meets Harry (** ** _Res Nullius_** **), and a** ** _Fate/Zero_** **AU where the same happens, only to Waver (** ** _Repetita Iuvant_** **). I may revisit those concepts, as it allows for a romance without the squick.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	8. Chapter 7: Resolutions

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **RESOLUTIONS**

As Shirou and Sakura cleaned up the kitchen, Arturia and Hadrian sat out the back, looking across the yard. During their tea, they had discussed matters. Arturia still seemed set on claiming the Grail, though she was willing to reluctantly admit that finding out why the Magus Killer ordered her to destroy it was a priority. She still seemed suspicious of Hadrian, though, and he couldn't blame her.

"Why do you help a fellow Master?" Arturia asked.

"Wrong question, Arturia. I help Shirou because he's a friend. Keep in mind that _you're_ my opponent, and even then, I'm not going to try dealing with you until Berserker is dealt with at the very least, as well as Lancer and Caster, and probably Archer as well."

"And you are being cordial with me."

"You're my opponent, like I said. Nobody ever said I can't be polite to one. Normally, I'm not, admittedly. I like trolling people I'm fighting. But you…I hold chivalry in contempt. It's dressing up war with honour bloodshed doesn't have, glorifying combat. I hate all that _dulce et decorum est pro patria mori_ bullshit(1). But…heroes exist for a reason." He looked up at the night sky. "Heroes like you inspire people to do better. To make themselves better. I never really got much of that myself, but I still admire some heroes. And as much as I disdain chivalry, I admire you, Arturia Pendragon."

Arturia looked conflicted, before a rueful smile touched her lips. "Kiritsugu once told me that heroes only inspire people to greater atrocities, to glorify warfare. You take a different view."

"I take a more holistic view. Heroes can inspire evil dressed up in good, too, but they can still inspire good anyway. Hopefully, they can inspire more good than evil," Hadrian said. "My guardian doesn't have a high opinion of the Magus Killer's character, and I share it. But Shirou…well, Kiritsugu raised him right. Though he needs a babysitter at times. He's got a ridiculously low sense of self-preservation. Comes from survivor's guilt from being in the fire. Incidentally, how's your mana from Shirou?"

"Adequate," Arturia said. She shook her head. "You would really allow your friendship with him to have you stay your hand from killing him?"

"Well, even if I did want to kill him, Sakura wouldn't ever forgive me. She loves me, true, but she's also very good friends with Shirou, like he's the big brother she never had," Hadrian said with a smile. Then, his smile became impish. "By the way, I do have a question. You're a woman, but you hid your gender from everyone in Camelot, more or less. And I know in Arthurian myth that Arthur had several sons, not just Mordred…"

"Ah, yes," Arturia said, blushing slightly. "Merlin was involved, temporarily giving me the ability to sire sons with Guinevere."

Oh, this was too perfect a setup. He just hoped the Grail gave her enough knowledge to understand what he meant. Just because he felt kindly-inclined towards Arturia didn't mean he wasn't going to tease her. After all, what trolling master could say that they had managed to troll King Arthur?

"So…he turned you into a futa?"

* * *

In his office in Clock Tower, Zelretch blinked, and then chuckled. "My Troll Senses are tingling. Well-played, Kotomine. Well-played indeed…"

* * *

Illya, admittedly, was a dilettante when it came to torture. Her father never showed her any techniques he used (but she was still young, so she could forgive him of that much, if nothing else). But she felt that she had hit the right mark here. This rat-like man, Peter Pettigrew, was a coward, and while his story was unbelievable (and Illya had broken a number of his fingers, thinking he was lying), he had been consistent with this story. Fools like him would think of a more believable story.

He had lapsed into unconsciousness, and Illya was contemplating what she learned. If Pettigrew wasn't lying, then he, along with those other intruders, came from another world, one where magic, while still hidden, was closer to that from the Age of the Gods. Hadrian Kotomine was apparently a messiah to the wizards (how drolly amusing: as if Hadrian Kotomine could be considered anyone's saviour), and Pettigrew's master had tried to kill Kotomine, only to be killed instead. These wizards had come here to kill Kotomine in revenge.

While Kotomine's death was not out of the question, being a Master, the fact remained that these wizards had murdered Leysritt. They had no knowledge of the Holy Grail War. Pettigrew reacted to the name of Zelretch with bemusement. These Death Eaters had no sense of deportment or good manners. Pettigrew was a coward, but he was enlightening as to Blood Purity values, things he didn't share, but he did join them out of fear. Apparently this wasn't due to magic being stronger in longer-established families. It was just xenophobia.

So an alliance with these wizards to deal with Kotomine was wholly out of the question. They were rabid, mannerless dogs, and they had offended her greatly. Not only that, but they had murdered Leysritt. Okay, she would have to die to become the Dress of Heaven, but there was a difference between dying because it was your purpose, and dying just because some uncouth group of racist hedgewizards decided to kill you.

In any case, these bastards may actually try to kill Shirou and Kotomine before she could…or at least before she could decide what to do with them. Shirou might make an interesting pet, at least, despite Jubstacheit's orders to kill him. He might even have some stories about Kiritsugu. She didn't want these murderous bastards to steal her prey. HER prey.

Sella came in. " _Lady Illya, I have dealt with the carrion for now. I presumed given the unusual magic that you'd want the bodies preserved for experimentation. What about this one?_ "

" _I don't know_ ," Illya said, turning to face Sella. " _He might be fun to play with some_ …" She was cut off by Sella gasping, and whirled in time to find a rat scampering off the now-empty chair.

This damned wizard had been shamming unconsciousness, or else recovered, and then transformed into the very animal he resembled vaguely. Which should be impossible, but Illya could worry about that later. And now, he was getting away, scampering out of the open door into the corridor. " _Berserker!_ " she yelled.

No other words needed to be said. It seemed rather surreal for a massive, hulking mass of muscle like Heracles to try to attack an agile rat, but in truth, Heracles was one of the best Berserkers, agile and skilled. In a manner, Pettigrew's agility worked against him, because as Heracles stomped down, Pettigrew had just enough speed to avoid his head or torso getting squashed…but not the rest of him.

The shrill cry of a rat in agony pierced the corridor, as Heracles lifted his foot, and grimaced (more than usual) at the blood and viscera on his foot. Rather casually, even for someone in the throes of perpetual madness, he wiped his foot on the carpet, to Sella's displeasure. And soon, the shrieks of agony changed from those of a rodent to that of a man. There was virtually nothing left of Pettigrew from just above the waist down, his viscera spilling out and making even more of a mephitic mess on the carpet. Illya wrinkled her nose in disgust and contempt. "Well, that's just rude," she muttered.

Amazingly, Pettigrew was hanging on to life. "Please…" he rasped. "Help…me…"

"Oh, you're still alive, Mr Pettigrew?" Illya asked, ambling over to Pettigrew, and meeting his eyes with a radiant smile. Before she viciously stomped on his throat. Small her frame might be, but contempt and hatred leant her strength, and he began to choke. And as angry as she was with her father for betraying her, she had to admit that she was definitely the child of the Magus Killer.

Still, these wizards had just proven even more dangerous, she reflected. Being able to change into animals was virtually unknown these days. She'd have to be extra vigilant, she thought, as she watched Pettigrew choke through his last breaths, raising a hand as if he wanted help, only there was anger and spite in those eyes, and his lips formed three syllables. _Crucio_ …

Suddenly, agony washed through her body, and she fell back with a scream of pain, echoed by the savage, eldritch roar of Heracles, who stomped on Pettigrew, reducing the rest of him to a gory smear, a mercy he did not deserve. " _Bastard_ ," she snarled. " _Used some sort of pain-induction magecraft in his final moments to spite me._ "

" _Are you all right?_ " Sella asked in concern.

" _Yes. I'm used to worse pain, it just surprised me_ ," Illya said. Though that pain certainly made it into the Top 5. Sadly, she'd had worse…

* * *

" _I see_ ," Sella said after they discussed what she had learned from Pettigrew. There were a few other Homunculi maids present, and they were currently cleaning up. " _As fanciful as it seems, we cannot deny the danger they pose. And while anything that could eliminate the competition for the Heaven's Feel should be good, these fools will cause significant disruption in the process, endangering the secrecy around it and drawing attention from unwanted corners. What do you believe we should do?_ "

Illya pursed her lips. Eventually, she said, " _Notify the Overseer. Disruptions to the Holy Grail War would fall under his purview. The action he takes afterwards is up to him. We've done the bare minimum otherwise. If we encounter them again, we will exterminate them without mercy. We owe Leysritt that much._ " They were in a study, and Illya reached over to a phone, and called the number of the church.

After a number of rings, the phone was answered. " _Kotomine Church._ "

"Good evening. Is this Kirei Kotomine, the Overseer?" Illya asked in Japanese.

" _Indeed. May I ask who is calling? Is this the von Einzbern Master?_ "

"Yes. I have some interesting information for you. It may sound unbelievable, but it's true."

" _Oh? Is it a group of wizards from another world who have come for my ward?_ "

Illya blinked, nonplussed. "Umm, how did you know?"

" _As much as I'd love to claim omnipotence or an ability to read minds, unfortunately, I cannot see your face to see your reaction. Oh, I can imagine it, but seeing it for certain is better. No, the reason why I know is that I have a few of those wizards with me right now. But thank you for the warning. I will consider the best course of action in dealing with them_ …"

* * *

Kirei Kotomine hung up the phone. "Do pardon me," he said to his guests, "but my duties take up much of my time."

"Quite all right, my dear fellow," said an old man in the most garish and hideous-looking robes Kirei had ever seen. "Now, you were telling us about this Holy Grail War that is going on?"

"Indeed. As you are not Masters, you have no right to claim the Grail itself," Kirei said. "And disrupting this conflict would bring about censure from me." He looked pointedly at the scowling greasy-haired man who had tried to invade his mind, only to have a finger removed by a Black Key. "But perhaps we can come to some sort of…arrangement. You wish for my ward to die due to the great evil he carries within him."

"You seem rather accepting of that fact," the old man said.

"I merely thought his darker side was due to the trauma he went through," Kirei lied readily with a shrug. "I thought it best to channel such urges into our profession. Dealing with heretics, Magi, Dead Apostles, which you call vampires…but alas, it seems that I have erred. _Mea culpa_. So, as his guardian, and Overseer of the Holy Grail War, it behoves me to help correct my error."

He didn't believe it one bit, though. Kirei had actually found this dark element within Hadrian when he first adopted him, and had used the Exorcism Rite to purge it after considerable thought. A fragment of a soul, he knew.

But Hadrian had retained a certain morality that was somewhat annoying. Oh, he was a vicious and sadistic little chip off the old block when he put his mind to it, but Kirei also knew that Hadrian would oppose him bringing Angra Mainyu into the world on general principle. These wizards being present meant that he might have to rewrite many of his plans and contingencies…but maybe it could cause more chaos, enough to keep Gilgamesh amused until the time finally came.

Oh, he knew his ward would probably survive against these wizards. But it would also mean that Hadrian would be kept off-balance, unable to see the true threat until it was too late. Still, he wanted to give Hadrian a substantial challenge to overcome. So maybe he should have Lancer help these fools.

In any case, things were going to get interesting. And bloody. And with Saber summoned once more, Kirei knew that all the players for this spectacle of Grand Guignol had been assembled, not knowing that the playwright planned an ending they wouldn't see coming…

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Hadrian's trolled Arturia, Pettigrew's been fatally introduced to Heracle's foot (ew, imagine how much they'd reek even before rat guts ended up all over it), and Kirei is collaborating with Dumbledore.**

 **I actually finished this chapter ages ago, but the rather harsh (many undeservedly so) reviews from some corners on earlier chapters halted my motivation to post it, despite what I thought was a nice example of Hadrian trolling Arturia and Illya dealing with Pettigrew. I've finally plucked up the motivation to post it once more. That being said, the eighth chapter is far from complete, and I feel I need to restart it from scratch, as a few reviews pointed out, quite rightly, that I needed to have more emphasis on Hadrian and Sakura's relationship. So it may not be out for a while.**

 **Speaking of chapters to my Nasuverse crossovers, I recently finished _Light the Blue Touch Paper and Run Like Hell_. If you haven't read my _Thor/Fate/Zero_ crossover, fix that. Also, a new chapter of _Gorgon and Thanatos_ is almost finished, so keep an eye out for that.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Gabriel Herrol** **: You're very welcome. Your challenges are good ones, and more people need to answer them.**

 **Harmonious Arkos Sloth** **: Does anybody give a crap about Shinji? I mean, aside from Shirou and Sakura, in-universe?**

 **davidteague3950** **: The irony is, Richard Roxburgh, the Aussie actor who played Dracula in** ** _Van Helsing_** **(Aussie actors were very much a presence in that film, what with Hugh Jackman and David Wenham being in it too), actually married Silvia Colloca, the Italian actress who played Verona, the 'head bride' of Dracula.**

 **1.** ** _Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori_** **means 'It is sweet and fitting to die for one's fatherland'.**


	9. Chapter 8: Dreams

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **DREAMS**

For now, Hadrian had opted to sleep at Shirou's house, along with Sakura, if only just in case the wizards decided to make another attempt. Arturia was somewhat reluctant, not to mention fuming a little (in equal parts embarrassment and annoyance) over that remark about her being a futa (the Grail having given her enough knowledge to know what that was), but Shirou smoothed things over. He was reluctant to share a bedroom with her, but Hadrian and Sakura persuaded him that that would actually be for the best.

Medusa watched over the pair, sitting on a chair, snuggled up against each other on a shared futon. She knew that Assassin, aka Jack the Ripper, was also watching from the shadows, using her Presence Concealment to great effect. The two had an uneasy alliance, helped by the fact that Medusa actually sympathised with the girl, an embodiment of abandoned children focused onto one who became the infamous serial killer. Both were not born monsters, and if circumstances were different, they would never have become them either.

Speak of the devil…Medusa felt a weight settle on her lap, and golden eyes peered at the blindfold that concealed her own. She forced herself to relax a little. "Please don't do that," she said.

"But you're _warm_ ," Jack the Ripper protested. She was dressed in a rather pretty dress that actually made her look even more cute and endearing, though she still had that ragged cloak on top. "I'd crawl in with Mummy and Daddy, but we'd go to sleep, and we don't want them to be hurt by the other Servants, or those wizards and witches after them."

Medusa nodded. That was quite logical. And she still had to remind herself that Jackie was still a child, or rather, an amalgamation of them. So she settled the girl on her lap, lightly cuddling her. "Neither do I."

"…We see Mummy's dreams," Jackie said softly. "No wonder her soul called out to us. What she went through…I want Mummy to be happy, and she's happy with Daddy." She peered up at Medusa again. "Do you think I can be happy with them?"

"Maybe." Medusa hugged the Assassin Servant closer to her. In Ancient Greek, her name meant _Guardian_ , and she had felt protective towards her sisters, Stheno and Euryale, in life, before her madness and her devolution into a monster changed that. Strangely, she felt the need to protect Jackie, albeit more out of maternal instinct than sisterly instinct. Assassins were actually amongst the weaker classes anyway. It didn't stop her from being wary of Jackie, but she knew that, until this Grail War entered the final stages, she should be safe from her. And so, for now, she could indulge that maternal instinct she never thought she would express…

* * *

Medusa knew that the dreams would come, dreams of her Master's past, even as she remained awake and watching. She had seen glimpses of it before during the dream cycle. But tonight, she saw more than she did before.

She saw his youngest years. Of a bedroom that was a cupboard underneath the stairs. Of relatives who treated him like a servant from the moment he could walk, and a punching bag both physically and verbally before even that. And one day, one dark day, after he was beaten for being smarter than that piglet, he had begged for salvation, whether it would come through death or through some _deus ex machina_.

Astonishingly, it was the latter. Experiencing as she did through his memories, she felt the sensation of his magic actually calling out to something. And something answered. Something dark, tainted, and aflame.

Suddenly, he was elsewhere, bruised, bloodied, and with a broken arm (courtesy of his relatives), in the midst of an inferno. She felt the flames, cursed flames, tearing at him, cooking part of his body, marring it forever. But to him, it felt like salvation, like release. Something within him broke, or rather, burned within the flames, turning to ashes. Maybe he felt like he was in Hell. Or maybe it was simply because he knew he was free of those animals. He simply laughed, great choking guffaws echoing amongst the smoke as he staggered through the fire and the smoke, not even looking at the charred bodies. He could see, in the distance, what looked like a black hole ringed by blue fire, spewing out black gunk that set everything aflame, like the eye of some baleful, malevolent god.

Harry Potter looked into the abyss, and even as it gazed back into him, he just laughed.

He staggered through the ruins as the rain poured down, finally extinguishing the flames, his laughter turning into hyena-like chuckles, before he stumbled across an extraordinary sight. A brown-haired man, himself laughing, and a naked man with blonde hair and crimson eyes. The two looked at Harry Potter, and then, she heard the golden man remark, "Hmm? It seems we have another survivor…"

Harry swooned, exhaustion both physical and magical taking him.

* * *

The next memory was when Harry Potter had died, the last ashes of him scattered to the four winds, and the charred carcass that was left had become Hadrian Kotomine. He had been brought to a funeral for someone called Tokiomi Tohsaka. It was the first time Hadrian had met Rin, and the only time he would meet Rin's mother, Aoi, who had been attacked by a man called Kariya and left brain-damaged.

Hadrian wasn't sure what to make of Rin, but Rin didn't seem to like him all that much, if only by association with Kirei. She seemed to blame him somehow for her father's end. Their relationship improved a little, partly because they took magecraft tuition together, but still, a distance remained between them.

Hadrian had been warped by that fire, like a piece of metal left in a furnace, twisted out of shape. In some ways, he was just like his guardian, the one whose name he had been given. But in other ways, he was nothing like Kirei Kotomine.

* * *

School. It was at junior high school that Hadrian met a rather shy, purple-haired girl for the first time. And what had drawn him to her? Was it her cuteness? Was it her exotic hair colour?

No, Medusa realised. Hadrian was drawn to her because he sensed another damaged, twisted soul. And as much as he inherited his guardian's more sadistic tendencies, there were some forms of suffering that appealed to him on a more altruistic level. He wanted to protect her, though from what, he didn't know.

He looked at the title of the book she was reading on a bench during lunch. _Ring_ , by Koji Suzuki. "Isn't that pretty strong stuff?" he asked the girl.

She 'eeped' in a rather cute manner, and looked up at him, her eyes widening when she took in his burn scars. "Umm…I l-l-like ghost stories," she said.

"Even stuff as strong as _Ring?_ " Hadrian asked. "I mean, I've read it. It's pretty strong stuff. I half expect Sadako to crawl out of the TV and kill me. She scares me more than a lot of stuff like Dead Apostles…" He then winced. 'Dead Apostles' was not a term known to non-Magi.

But then, the girl looked up at him, startled. "…Are you…a Magus?"

"…Well, technically yes, in that I use magecraft," Hadrian said. "Personally, I think most Magi are either a bunch of stuck-up snobs who meddle in things men weren't meant to, or monsters who should be wiped out for the good of humanity, lest Gaia and/or Alaya take too much of an interest. But you don't seem like that. No snob or monster would be this cute and shy. I'm Hadrian Kotomine. What's your name?"

The girl actually blushed a little, before she actually smiled. A sad smile. "Sakura Matou."

* * *

During his school holidays, he went over to Italy, to Torino, to train as an Executor. Despite having only met her relatively recently, Sakura had swiftly become a firm friend. In a way, going over there also gave him more friends, of a sort. He met his stepsister, the sardonic Caren Hortensia, who had inherited her father's acid tongue, and another Executor, Ciel. He met Merem Solomon, and eventually, during a brief trip to Clock Tower, made the acquaintance of Zelretch, and through him, Zelretch's 'granddaughter', Arcueid Brunestud.

Unfortunately, some incidents during his training led to him being, officially at least, refused entry into the Executors. In reality, he was one they turned to for rather messy situations that needed more deniability than the average mission. They even used him as a liaison with Arcueid Brunestud during that mess with Shiki Tohno, and had even helped in their fight against Nero Chaos. His magic had helped Arcueid recover more quickly from her encounter with Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

All this and school too. During the time he spent back in Fuyuki, he finally made the acquaintance of Shirou Emiya. And, of course, it was about that time they became boyfriend and girlfriend, and fending off Shinji's threats. And then, one fateful day in a park, it happened.

* * *

Medusa saw their arrival in a massive hall of a castle, people's faces looking at him expectantly, only for some to be repulsed by his burn scars. Hadrian staying protectively close to Sakura. He was told he was to participate in some tournament that paled by comparison to the Grail War. He was told about his heritage, about the fame he had acquired. He was told he **_belonged_** here.

His response to those revelations was to laugh high, laugh loud, laugh insanely, and then throw a small cloud of Black Keys at the old man known as Dumbledore, who seemed unrepentant (at least in terms of genuine repentance) about leaving Hadrian with the Dursleys. He then did the same to that greasy-haired fellow by the name of Snape, pinning the man to the wall with Black Keys to the man's robes. Very satisfying. Though in hindsight, he should have made the bat into a pinned butterfly.

Then, that night…Sakura confessed to him. About Shinji's rapes…about the Crest Worms…and about her being Rin's sister. About how her Uncle Kariya died trying to save her. Her darkest secrets, and the worst part of it? She fully expected him to reject her. Maybe it was because of the way a few of the girls there looked at Hadrian, Sakura felt she couldn't compete, despite the fact that she left more than a few of them for dead in the looks department. She was worried that he would abandon her in this world.

Hadrian had already known Shinji to be an abusive little shitstain. He just didn't know how far it had gone. And while he shared his guardian's hatred for Zouken Matou, he now felt it even more. So he looked Sakura in the eyes, and said…

"I don't care. Or rather, I don't care about what all that did to you. You are not worthless, Sakura Matou. So you've suffered. You've suffered even worse than I have. So what? Why does that make you worthless? Is it because you are helpless? Then fix that. When you were pimped out by your sperm donor, you were just a kid. But now, you've grown up. You have power. And you have me. Being gentle doesn't mean you're weak. So let's use this time we're here to get stronger. And we will get back, even if I have to castrate that old goat to get it done…"

Medusa realised, nobody had ever spoken to Sakura like that. And the sheer shock of it actually changed something within the girl. The actual realisation that Hadrian accepted her, Crest Worms and all, was a surprise to her. She had thought herself sullied, damaged goods that wouldn't be accepted by anyone if she told them the truth.

* * *

Meetings. Some good, others bad. The Weasleys, a girl called Hermione, another called Luna…they made fairly favourable impressions, at least once Hadrian had made some things clear. Like the fact that he didn't know or didn't care about this 'Boy Who Lived' nonsense. Hadrian would later meet a werewolf called Lupin, and then a godfather (or was that dogfather?) called Sirius Black.

But others…well, not favourable. The greasy-haired one called Snape despised Hadrian from the beginning, out of some petty dispute with his birth father, and the feeling was mutual. There was the man who had stage-managed Hadrian's life thus far, Dumbledore, a man whom Hadrian loathed. Medusa felt he was like one of the Olympians, with too much power and self-importance, with a tendency to meddle in other's lives, no matter what the detriment.

She watched in amazement as he battled a dragon for the First Task. She smiled as she watched Hadrian danced with Sakura at the Yule Ball. She felt his fury as he retrieved Sakura from the bottom of a lake. She blushed a little as, in the height of emotion, they coupled.

And then, the Third Task. The Portkey. The graveyard. The twisted ophidian monster of a man called Voldemort. But the man made a mistake. He'd allowed Hadrian enough time to recite the exorcism ritual, even if Hadrian had to do it under his breath. Voldemort's time back in the world of the living could be measured in minutes, and in the ensuing chaos, many of his minions followed him into perdition, courtesy of either his Black Keys, or his infamous Pyroclasm Party. The graveyard was in flames by the time he used the Portkey to go back.

Of course, Dumbledore berated him, labelling him as a dark wizard, but Hadrian didn't care. And when the Aurors arrived, led by that appalling toad-like woman, he prepared himself to fight. Indeed, he killed a number of them before he was finally whisked back to the world, not of his birth, but of his life, along with Sakura…

* * *

There was a sudden sharp trill, and Medusa was brought out of her reverie when Hadrian fumbled around for a mobile phone. It was early in the morning, she realised. Hadrian answered the phone blearily, looking at the caller ID, and spoke into it. "Rin…I need my beauty sleep more than you do, what with all my scars, and I know you're a late riser when you can, so why the hell have you called us up at five…wait, what?" His eyes narrowed, as Sakura woke, and Jackie went over to her. "Who? Describe them." A pause. Then, "He really said that? Okay. Have Archer keep an eye on them. We'll be over there soon. And check yourself continually for mind-altering magic, Rin, just in case. Listen, Rin, Shirou summoned Saber while we were being attacked by wizards from that world. I don't know how they got here without Zelretch's help, but they may have ways of crudely replicating Kaleidoscope, otherwise, I wouldn't have been drawn there in the first place. And by the way, I would appreciate it if you didn't try to kill us for now. Consider this done under parley, unless they try to kill me, or you do." Another pause, though Medusa thought she heard indignant ranting through the phone. "We'll be there soon, Rin, don't start another _tsundere_ tantrum." He then hung up the phone.

Sakura, who was cuddling Jackie, looked at Harry. "What does Rin want?"

"There's more wizards at her house. If we're lucky, we've got allies. And if not…well, they're still unlucky. So bring Assassin with us. We may need her…"

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Sorry this chapter took so damned long. Inspiration, you know how it is. A lot of people wanted expansion on Hadrian and Sakura's relationship, so using the dream cycle helped. I can't promise that the next chapter will be along more quickly. We can hope, though.**

 **Review-answering time! Thanks for the praise regarding Wormtail's end. I wanted to make it fitting for the grubby little bastard. And to give him his due (what little of it there is), he at least gives Illya one last little spiteful spell in farewell. Plus, there's some wonderful dark comedy to be had for Heracles having to basically wipe his foot on the carpet afterwards.**

 **framfrit** **: The four groups were Dumbledore's group, one group of Death Eaters, another group of Death Eaters led by Umbridge as Ministry representatives, and Hadrian's few allies from the Potterverse. I think you can guess who ended up with Rin. I actually think Rin and Hermione would get along swimmingly after the initial clash of egos.**

 **3697014** **: While I can't promise anything, I like Illya too. She's so adorably homicidal, and rather sad too.**

 **Guest** **: Yeah, Hadrian's sentiments are geared towards that sort of mentality. As for what happens to Dumbledore and Snape…yeah, not sure yet. But personally, I want to let Jackie off the leash: while she's at her most effective against female enemies, I personally think there's something apposite about having them gutted by Jack the Ripper. Especially as they ruined Harry's earlier life, and Jackie is basically the embodiment of ruined childhoods.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


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